Relatives of Israeli hostages and protesters take part in an anti-government demonstration calling for measures to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, near the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem, Sep.16, 2025. (Credit: Ahmad Gharabli / AFP)
Hamas’s armed wing on Saturday released photos of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, warning that they could face the same fate as an Israeli pilot missing since 1986 if Israel continues its assault on Gaza City.
Of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, 47 remain held in the territory, including 25 considered dead by the Israeli army.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades published old photos of 46 of them on their Telegram channel, each labeled with the name Ron Arad, an Israeli Air Force pilot who disappeared after being captured during a mission in Lebanon in 1986, during the Lebanese civil war.
“Due to the obstinacy of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and the submission of [army chief Eyal] Zamir… here is a farewell photo taken at the start of the operation” in Gaza City, the Brigades’ accompanying text stated.
Ron Arad was reportedly first held by Shiite groups in Lebanon and is now presumed dead, his remains never returned. His fate has concerned Israel for decades, where the repatriation of missing or captured soldiers is regarded as a national duty.
On Tuesday, Israel announced the launch of a ground and air military campaign in Gaza City, the largest city in the Palestinian territory, aiming to annihilate Hamas, after weeks of ongoing heavy airstrikes.
Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled, while the families of hostages have urged the government to halt the offensive, warning that it endangers the lives of their relatives still held in Gaza.
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