Four Israeli captives found dead in Khan Younis
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The Israeli occupation forces announce that four settlers had been killed in Gaza's Khan Younis after "Israel" rejected numerous prisoner swap proposals.
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Three Israeli settlers shown in a video released by the al-Qassam Brigades in December, 2023 (screengrab)
The Israeli occupation forces announced on Monday evening the deaths of four prisoners held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The IOF said the prisoners were killed in Khan Younis, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths is currently underway.
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the killings, calling them a "stain of shame." The forum attributed the deaths to the consequences of delays in previous negotiations that could have led to their release.
An Israeli occupation forces spokesperson said the deaths occurred several months ago.
This announcement comes just days after the military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, released a video showing an Israeli captive in Gaza sending a message to the families of the Israeli prisoners held by the resistance in Gaza and to the settlers in "Israel".
The clip also featured statements made by Netanyahu since the beginning of the war claiming that "efforts are being made to bring back all hostages."
Similar statements indicating that all capabilities are being utilized to reach the captives made by other top Israeli officials were also displayed, including War Cabinet member Minister Benny Gantz and Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
After showing footage of the different claims, al-Qassam addressed the captives' families, saying: "This is how Netanyahu, his army, and his war cabinet kill the captives," followed by images of Israeli captives killed by the continuous Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
The Resistance group urged the families to ask Netanyahu and his ministers for the names of those killed captives, asserting that "they know them very well." It then warned that "time is running out" and that the Israeli government would be the reason for the "captives returning to their families in coffins."
