Hamas releases ‘parting image’ of 48 captives as Gaza City assault nears

Hamas released a “parting image” Saturday depicting the 48 Israelis still held in Gaza as Israeli ground forces pressed toward Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center and Hamas’s last major stronghold. The image is a montage of the captives’ faces with the name Ron Arad inscribed beneath each headshot. Arad, an Israeli air force pilot, disappeared during a 1986 bombing mission in southern Lebanon and is officially listed as missing.

Hamas said the release was a message that Israel would never again see the captives, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for rejecting a last-minute cease-fire and hostage deal and accusing Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir of capitulating to the plan to seize Gaza City. The text above the montage links the decision to the military operation as it began to encircle the city. The image and its framing came as Israeli forces intensified their push into Gaza City.

The Israeli Air Force maintained an offensive overnight, targeting hundreds of sites across the Gaza Strip — about 100 locations including tunnels, buildings and other infrastructure the military says were used by Hamas. The IDF has said it destroyed as many as 20 high-rise blocks in Gaza over roughly the last two weeks, which it describes as Hamas hideouts. The military warned it would use “unprecedented force” in Gaza City as the operation intensified and estimated that roughly 480,000 residents had fled the city since late August. Before the current push, around 1 million Palestinians were living in Gaza City.

The IDF also reported that several Hamas operatives, including field commanders, were killed in overnight strikes as forces closed in on the city’s outskirts. Hamas officials have repeatedly warned that the battle for Gaza City would trigger fierce resistance and deepening casualties, with one surviving Hamas leader telling Qatari television that the operation would be met with the group’s strongest response and that those who harm Hamas would also harm the hostages, whether living or dead.

Meanwhile, large nationwide protests swept Israel on Saturday evening, with families of hostages and anti-war activists rallying outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem. They accused Netanyahu of prolonging the conflict to preserve political power and said the lives of their loved ones were being used as leverage in a broader political struggle. The demonstrations reflected a deep public rift over how to handle the war in Gaza and raised renewed questions about the prospects for a cease-fire or negotiated hostage release.

The clash between rising military activity and international calls for restraint comes as the Israeli government contends with a shrinking operating space in Gaza City. The IDF has contended that Hamas’s leadership is concentrated there and that neutralizing its influence would require a sustained, heavy-handed approach. Hamas, in turn, has escalated its rhetoric, warning that the operation’s footprint will only grow and that any attempt to force the group’s hand could come at a steep cost for civilians.

As the fighting continues, observers say the humanitarian situation in Gaza City remains dire. The displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents, damaged infrastructure, and the risk to civilians in a densely populated urban landscape complicate any potential stabilization, cease-fire, or hostage negotiations. International organizations have urged all sides to protect civilians and to pursue avenues for relief and resolution, even as the current moment appears to favor military objectives on the ground.

With posturing and counterposturing shaping daily developments, families of hostages and political leaders alike are watching for signs of movement on releases or negotiations amid a widening conflict. The situation remains fluid, with shifts in battlefield dynamics, civilian displacement, and political calculations likely to influence the next phase of the war in Gaza and any potential path toward de-escalation.