Hamas has announced that it has scattered the more than 100 hostages taken in the recent invasion of Israel throughout the Gaza Strip in an attempt to deter widespread bombing raids by the IAF.
“[They] are present in all parts in the Gaza Strip… what happens to the people of the Gaza Strip will happen to them, and beware of miscalculation,” said a Hamas spokesman.
This move joins other measures taken by Hamas in an attempt to deter the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, including several instances of concealing military personnel and infrastructure inside civilian buildings, such as schools or mosques.
The IAF has attacked hundreds of targets in Gaza since the beginning of the operation, as well as executing airstrikes in Israeli territory to eliminate Hamas operatives who have breached the border.
Israel has a history of lopsided prisoner exchanges, including the widely criticized deal in which over 1,000 security prisoners were released in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.