Families of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza have received threatening messages and calls, including some that originated from the phones of their loved ones, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Tuesday.
One message sent to hostage families read, “If you don’t fight, you won’t see your loved ones return,” according to the report. Messages were also said to have contained ransom requests, claiming that without payment, the families wouldn’t receive signs of life from their loved ones.
The report claimed that many families of hostages have contacted Israel’s Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces in recent weeks regarding the anonymous telephone threats.
An initial investigation by the Israel Security Agency confirmed that the messages were sent by “hostile elements” with links to Iran or Hamas, the broadcaster added.
One hundred and nine hostages, both living and dead, remain captive in Gaza, 320 days after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror invasion. Dozens are believed to be alive, an official involved in the talks revealed in June.
