Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades says Israeli forces surrounding captive's location risk his life

The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, warned on Saturday that the Israeli army is currently besieging a location where captive Israeli soldier Matan Zangauker is being held, and cautioned that any attempt to forcibly free him could result in his death.

In a statement issued by spokesman Abu Ubaida, the group said: “Israeli forces are surrounding a site where the captive Matan Zangauker is being held. We firmly affirm that the enemy will not succeed in retrieving him alive.”

“If this prisoner is killed during an attempted rescue, the Israeli army will be fully responsible for his death. We have preserved his life for a year and eight months. The warning has been delivered,” he added.

The Israeli army has not officially commented on the statement or confirmed an operation at the location in question.

Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned of the dire risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.