Hamas has vowed to kill an Israeli hostage any time Israeli armed forces target civilians in Gaza “without prior warning.”
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida made the remarks in an audio message released Monday night. The militant group, which governs Gaza and has been declared a terrorist group by the United States government, launched a series of coordinated attacks on Israel on Saturday, killing hundreds and also taking hostages back to the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen warned the group that if it harmed captured Israeli civilians, “this war crime will not be forgiven.”
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Gaza in response to the Saturday attacks, strikes that have have also killed hundreds of people.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have hit more than 1,200 targets in Gaza between Saturday and Monday, noting that it “doubled that number.”
“The @IAFsite is conducting one of the largest air strikes ever against Hamas in Gaza to degrade and destroy their ability to terrorize the people of Israel,” the IDF said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Hamas launched a war. We will restore security to our country.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that forces from his country will exact a “huge price” against Hamas for the attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.