Hamas warns Israel that deploying the offensive means "sacrificing" the hostages

The Islamist Hamas group warned Israel on Friday that the spread of the offensive in Gaza means "sacrificing" the hostages who remain abducted and called the plan to occupy the city of Gaza and evacuate its inhabitants"a new war crime" .

After the Israeli Security Cabinet decided early in the morning to extend its military offensive by taking that city of one million inhabitants in theStrip, Hamas has declared that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his government "don't give a damn about the fate of the hostages."

According to Hamas, the fact that Netanyahu's cabinet has used the term "takeover" and not "occupation" when talking about its plan for the cityofGaza is "a rude attempt to evade its legal responsibility for the consequences of brutal crime against civilians," while "implicitly acknowledging that its intentions violate international law."

"The decision to occupy Gaza confirms that the criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi government do not care about the fate of the prisoners, and that they know that spreading the attack means sacrificing the prisoners. This demonstrates contempt for the lives of prisoners in order to achieve failed political illusions. "

For the Palestinian Islamist group, which until recently was engaged in talks for aceasefirewith Israel , this plan is the reason why Israel withdrew from the negotiating table when they were "about to reach an agreement" .

Hamas has argued that it maintained "fullflexibility and positivity "to" succeed "these negotiations and approved an agreement involving the release of all hostages in Gaza (20 alive and 50 dead) in exchange for the cessation of war and the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza (the latter condition has never been accepted by Israel).

"We warn the criminal occupant that this criminal adventure will be very expensive and will not be a walk, as our people and their resistance are invincible and will not give up, "Hamas adds.

Finally, the group calls on the UN, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to " assumetheir legal and ethical responsibilities , stop this plan and bring those responsible to justice ".