Hamas has reportedly taken hundreds of hostages which include Israeli citizens, foreigners as well as dual nationals.

Tel Aviv: Israel’s Energy Minister has warned that no humanitarian aid or essential resources will be allowed into the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip until the militant group releases all hostages and returns them safely to Israel.

“Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” Energy Minister Israel Katz said, according to Al Jazeera.

Hamas, who launched a surprise offensive against Israel last week– which many consider the worst in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict– the militant group has reportedly taken hundreds of hostages which include Israeli citizens, foreigners as well as dual nationals.

On Wednesday (October 11), Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, published a video  that appeared to show the release of a female captive and two children. The video was criticised by Israel as “theatrics” meant to hide the group’s “true face as a barbaric organisation,” reported Al Jazeera.

Al-qassam brigades has released an Israeli woman and her two children. #FreeGaza#FreeGaza #IsraelPalestineConflict #Isarael #นุนิวเกียรตินิยมอันดับหนึ่ง #Hamas #Gaza #Hezbollah #Hezbullah #طوفان_الاقصى_ pic.twitter.com/ZDgUVF6K7A

— Lubna JUI (@lubnatahir333) October 12, 2023

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and declared a “full siege” on the Gaza Strip in punishment for the attack on Saturday, which it claims resulted in more than 1,300 deaths and 3,000 injuries.

According to Palestinian sources, over 1,350 people have died and more than 5,000 have been injured as a result of Israel’s air raids on the Gaza Strip.

Earlier today, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant briefed 31 of his counterparts at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting in Brussels. He asserted that Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will destroy Hamas and “will hunt down every last man with blood of children,” The Times of Israel reported.

“Hamas is the ‘ISIS’ of Gaza, a savage organization, funded and supported by Iran. Hamas is ISIS. The ‘ISIS’ of Gaza will not exist, on our borders. The IDF will destroy Hamas. And we will hunt down every last man, with the blood of our children, on his hands,” Yoav Gallant said.

Gallant briefed them about atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against children, women, men and the elderly.

“We have been hit hard. Yet make no mistake – 2023 is not 1943. We are the same Jews, but we have different capabilities. The State of Israel is strong. We are united, and powerful,” he said.

He expressed appreciation for the global show of support for Israel after Hamas launched an attack on the former on October 7, The Times of Israel report said.

Israeli Defence Forces said that Hamas brought ISIS flags to Israel when they had infiltrated various parts of South Israel last weekend.

In a post shared on X, Israeli Defence Forces stated, “Hamas brought ISIS flags to massacre Israeli children, women and men. Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization. Hamas is worse than ISIS.”

(With inputs from agencies)