The armed wing of Hamas has released what it calls a “farewell picture” of 48 Israeli captives held in Gaza as the Israeli army continues to destroy and seize the besieged enclave’s largest urban centre.

Qassam Brigades posted a compilation photo online on Saturday, showing the faces of all living and deceased captives, with each of them captioned “Ron Arad” in reference to the Israeli air force captain who went missing in Lebanon in 1986.

Arad’s F-4 Phantom suffered a premature bomb detonation during an attack on southern Lebanon. He was captured by the Amal Movement and later handed over to Hezbollah. Arad is believed to have died, but conclusive proof is not available about his fate.

The image released by Hamas was accompanied by a text, stating: “Because of Netanyahu’s refusal, an

See Full Page