The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas published a video on Monday featuring three women, presented as hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the attack on Israeli territory on October 7.

In this 76-second video broadcast by Hamas media with the title “some Zionist prisoners send a message to (Benjamin) Netanyahu and his government,” three women are seen sitting on plastic chairs.

One of them, sitting in the middle, asks the Israeli Prime Minister to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Hamas to obtain their release.

Several Israeli media published a screenshot of the recording on their websites and indicated that they would not publish it as they were statements imposed by the Islamist group.

At least 239 hostages kidnapped by Hamas commandos during their attack on Israeli territory on October 7 are being held in the Gaza Strip, according to the latest assessment by Israeli authorities.

Raid near Gaza City

This Monday, “dozens” of Israeli tanks carried out a raid on the outskirts of the Zeitun district, on the outskirts of Gaza City, witnesses indicated.

The Israeli army said it had bombed more than 600 targets in the past 24 hours and claimed its soldiers had killed “dozens” of fighters in fighting.

Air raid sirens sounded and gunshots were heard in Jerusalem. During the morning, a Palestinian who stabbed an Israeli police officer was shot dead by security forces in the eastern sector of the city.

The Israeli army is advancing “methodically” into Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, ruling out a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where ground fighting has intensified in response to the Islamist movement Hamas’ attack on Israel.

The armed forces “have expanded their access to the Gaza Strip, they are doing so in moderate and very strong phases, and are moving forward methodically step by step,” the Israeli leader said.

“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas. That will not happen,” Netanyahu declared as bombings and ground attacks intensify in the small area in retaliation for the attack by Hamas, whose fighters crossed into Israel on October 7, leaving behind nearly 1,400 dead.

“Cruel psychological propaganda”

Responding to the Palestinian movement’s publication of the video showing the three women presented as hostages, the Israeli president called the video “cruel psychological propaganda.”

One of them asks Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a prisoner exchange to obtain their release.

He The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of Shani Louk, a 23-year-old German-Israelikidnapped at the Tribe of Nova music festival.

The “new phase” of the war, announced by Israel’s Defense Minister on Saturday, raises concerns about a regional escalation. Clashes with the Hezbollah group are increasing on the border with Lebanon.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview with AFP that he was doing everything possible to prevent his country from getting ‘into war’.

Violence is also increasing in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority reported 120 deaths since October 7. (JO)