Hamas says Israel’s military pressure will result in hostages returning ‘in coffins’

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s message to Hamas was that Israel would seize areas of Gaza if the hostages are not returned. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

As Israel continues its renewed operations in the Gaza Strip, Hamas warns that military pressure will result in hostages being returned “in coffins.”

“Every time the occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins,” the terror group said in a statement.

The group claimed they were “doing everything possible to keep the occupation’s captives alive, but the random Zionist bombardment is endangering their lives.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s message to Hamas was that Israel would seize areas of Gaza if the hostages are not returned.

Speaking to the Knesset, Netanyahu said, “The more Hamas continues its refusal to release our hostages, the stronger the pressure we will impose,” Netanyahu said in the plenum. “This includes seizing territories and other measures I will not describe  here.”

In a statement Friday, Katz said: “I ordered [the army] to seize more territory in Gaza… The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel.”

On Wednesday, demonstrations to end the war, release the hostages, and remove Hamas from power persisted in northern Gaza for the second day.

Demonstrations against the terror group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip with an iron fist since 2006, are rare and often promptly quelled.

Protesters in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza are becoming more vocal, chanting slogans such as: “We want to live,” “The masked men will never control me,” “Stop the destruction,” and “For the sake of Allah, get Hamas out!” “Enough with the lies.”

A 19-year-old Gazan who supported the demonstration said, “People are angry at the whole world. We want Hamas to resolve this situation, return the hostages, and end this whole thing.”