Gaza/Tel Aviv, September 20, 2025: The armed wing of Hamas has released what it described as a “farewell picture” of 48 Israeli captives, as the Israeli military pressed ahead with its destruction and takeover of Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban centre.
The Qassam Brigades posted the image online on Saturday, showing the faces of all captives—both alive and deceased—each labelled “Ron Arad,” a reference to the Israeli air force captain who went missing in Lebanon in 1986 after being captured by the Amal Movement and later handed over to Hezbollah. His fate remains unresolved.
Alongside the photo, Hamas issued a statement blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to strike a deal and accusing Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir of bowing to government “conquest plans.” The group warned that the ongoing military offensive placed the captives’ lives at further risk.
Israeli authorities estimate that around 20 captives may still be alive in Gaza, while U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the number could be fewer. Both Trump and Netanyahu have vowed to recover all captives—alive or dead—and to “destroy” Hamas.
Hamas has long cautioned that intensified Israeli bombings and ground incursions endanger the captives, claiming that some have already been killed by Israeli strikes and that others are “scattered throughout neighbourhoods” in Gaza City.
The warning came hours before mass demonstrations were expected across Israel, with hundreds of thousands set to gather in Tel Aviv and other cities to demand an immediate deal for the captives’ release and an end to the war.
Hamas has previously released videos of captives, including emaciated prisoners, sparking outrage among families and criticism from Israeli and U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to mount. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 65,208 Palestinians have been killed and 166,271 wounded since the war began in October 2023. Since March 18—when Israel broke a ceasefire—12,653 Palestinians have been killed and 54,230 injured.
As Israel tightens its blockade, at least 2,518 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid, including four over the past day. Dozens more were killed in fresh strikes on Gaza City, where homes were destroyed and thousands forced to flee after Israel declared the entire area a combat zone.
