Hamas releases propaganda poster, says Gaza City operation endangers hostage lives

Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades released a propaganda photo of the 48 remaining Israeli hostages on Saturday, in which it labeled each hostage with the name “Ron Arad,” after the Israel Air Force navigator who disappeared after ejecting from his plane over Lebanon almost 40 years ago. 

Arad was captured by the Amal Movement, a Shiite movement in 1986 in southern Lebanon during the First Lebanon War. After a year, Arad was apparently transferred to Hezbollah custody, and Israel received several photos and letters as proof of his continued good health. However, after 1988, Israel no longer received any contact from Arad, or any reports about his condition from his captors. 

Arad was never officially declared dead due to the lack of information regarding his whereabouts and his condition. In 2008, Hezbollah indicated that Arad might have died in the 1990s due to illness, but offered no firm evidence. Both the Mossad and IDF intelligence concluded that Arad most likely died in captivity sometime shortly after the last correspondence. However, the location of his remains is not known. 

In the Hamas propaganda photo, each hostage is labeled as Ron Arad with a sequentially increasing number, indicating that the fate of the current hostages could be similar to that of Arad. 

The caption of the photo reads, “Because of Netanyahu’s intransigence and Zamir’s capitulation, a parting image as the military operation in Gaza City begins.” 

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has repeatedly recommended that the government agree to a hostage deal, even at the expense of the Gaza City operation, saying further military activity could endanger the hostages.

The propaganda poster comes after Hamas released a statement on Thursday, saying the terror group had “scattered” the hostages throughout Gaza City ahead of the IDF incursion. 

“Your hostages are scattered within the neighborhoods of Gaza City, and we will not be concerned for their lives as long as Netanyahu has decided to kill them," the statement read. "The initiation of this criminal operation and its expansion means that you will not retrieve any hostage, neither alive nor dead.” 

The photo on Saturday was released shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that between 32-38 of the hostages may be dead. 

🚨WATCH: President Trump: “We have between 32-38 hostages [in Gaza] who are dead.” As a reminder, Israel's numbers are 20 alive and 28 dead. pic.twitter.com/iTheiAajrN

— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) September 19, 2025

President Trump spoke to reporters during a signing ceremony for several executive orders in the White House. Asked about the hostages, President Trump responded, “There are 32 dead, maybe more, perhaps 38. There are between 32 and 38. Most of them are young,” President Trump said. “I spoke with some of the parents and they want the bodies of their precious children. It's so sad. It's terrible. We have nearly 40 deceased hostages. Many of them died in tunnels.” 

However, Trump also indicated that he did not have specific intelligence on the numbers of living hostages, as he also stated that there could still be 20 living hostages, the number cited by the Israeli government. 

“There are probably 20 hostages alive, maybe fewer. Most are in tunnels, but I’ve already gotten some of them out. As you know, I released most of the hostages, and about 20 remain alive,” he remarked. 

The comments by President Trump and the release of the Hamas propaganda video came as Israel has been increasing its operations in Gaza City, as it attempts to take over the city and defeat the Hamas forces there. 

Channel 12 News reported over the weekend that the IDF has changed some of its tactics in Gaza City in an attempt to minimize risk to the hostages. This includes a decision not to strike tunnels in the city, in the belief that the hostages could be harmed. 

Hamas’ photo release also came as thousands of Israelis were gathering to protest the government’s decision to move forward with the Gaza City incursion. At the weekly protests, hostage family members castigated the coalition government, and especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of abandoning the hostages for political reasons. 

They also called on the Israeli public to to join them in the protests. 

“I ask all the public to stay with us in Jerusalem,” said Vicki Cohen, whose son Nimrod is captive in Gaza. “We will not give quiet to the prime minister, we will not allow him to celebrate the holiday, because we have not had holidays since October 7. We will not move from here until everyone returns home.”