A spokesperson for terror group Hamas said Saturday afternoon that it is holding dozens of Israeli soldiers captive.
The announcement comes hours after Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel, firing rockets and carrying out attacks on Israeli military personnel and civilians. Israeli officials say at least 200 people are dead and more than 1,000 people are wounded. Hamas, an Islamic terrorist group that is funded in-part by Iran, notably launched the attack on the holiday of Simchat Torah and on Shabbat — the Jewish day of rest that is observed by many in Israel.
“A Hamas spokesman says that the group is holding dozens of captive Israeli soldiers,” Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim said. An hour earlier, Min Kim reported, “Israeli military spokesperson confirms that Hamas militants are holding Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage in Gaza.”
JERUSALEM (AP) — A Hamas spokesman says that the group is holding dozens of captive Israeli soldiers.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 7, 2023
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli military spokesperson confirms that Hamas militants are holding Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage in Gaza.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 7, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already forcefully declared that his country is now “at war,” and the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has launched “Operation Swords of Iron” to defend the country from the terrorists.
“We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. The leader added that Hamas has “launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens.”
Israel has launched strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza. Palestinian officials claim that 200 people have been killed and 1,610 have been injured, “but did not say where the deaths occurred or whether the toll included Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza,” according to CNN.
President Joe Biden says he’s spoken to Netanyahu about the “horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel.”
“The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel,” Biden’s statement said. “Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”
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Last month, the U.S. president released $6 billion in frozen oil revenues to Iran, in exchange for the regime releasing five American prisoners it had detained for years. The shocking deal was roundly condemned by members of the Republican Party; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), for example, warned, “this agreement will entice rogue regimes, like Iran, to take even more Americans hostage. The ayatollah and his henchmen are terrorists and truly represent a terrorist state.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this report
