On September 20, 2025, Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released what it called “farewell” photos of dozens of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, warning that Israel’s intensifying offensive in Gaza City could seal the fate of those captives. The move, reported by multiple outlets including Al Jazeera and The New Arab, underscored the peril facing the remaining hostages as the war, now nearing its second year, drags on with no resolution in sight.
The images—forty-seven in all—were distributed via the group’s official Telegram channel and website. Each photo, showing a captive, bore the name "Ron Arad," a pointed reference to the Israeli air force navigator who vanished after his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986. Arad’s fate has haunted Israeli society for decades, as he is presumed dead and his remains have never been recovered. By invoking Arad’s name, Hamas appeared to warn Israel that the current hostages might share a similar fate if the conflict continues unchecked.
The photos were accompanied by a caption in both Arabic and Hebrew: "Because of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s intransigence and [Chief of General Staff Eyal] Zamir’s submission, this is a farewell photo at the beginning of the operation in Gaza." This direct message placed the blame for the captives’ fate squarely on Israel’s political and military leadership, as reported by The New Arab.
Of the 251 people seized by Hamas and allied groups during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israeli authorities estimate that 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 whom the Israeli military believes are already dead. Hamas’s statement suggested that these hostages—scattered across neighborhoods in Gaza City—are now at even greater risk as Israel’s military presses deeper into the city. The Al-Qassam Brigades warned that "any expansion of the Israeli operation would eliminate the possibility of recovering the captives—either alive or dead," according to The New Arab.
Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza City, which began in early September 2025, has been particularly brutal. Hundreds of civilians have been killed, and large swathes of the city have been reduced to rubble. On September 20 alone, at least 61 Palestinians lost their lives in the fighting, according to Gaza health authorities cited by Al Jazeera. The United Nations estimates that around 450,000 Palestinians have fled southward to escape the bombardment, while roughly 900,000 remain trapped within Gaza City’s battered confines.
Meanwhile, the human cost continues to mount. Since the start of the war in October 2023, nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to figures reported by multiple international agencies and cited by Al Jazeera. The Israeli government, for its part, maintains that its campaign is necessary to eliminate Hamas as a military and political force in the enclave. Netanyahu’s government has openly declared its intention to occupy Gaza City, a move that has drawn condemnation from international observers and further complicated ceasefire efforts.
Hamas, for its part, has repeatedly declared its willingness to conclude a comprehensive deal with Israel—one that would see the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, an end to the war, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected such proposals, instead insisting on partial arrangements that allow for delays and the imposition of new conditions at each stage of negotiation. Critics, both within Israel and abroad, have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war for his own political survival, with the hostages’ well-being caught in the crossfire.
Ceasefire efforts have been further hampered by international dynamics. On September 18, 2025, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an end to the war—the sixth such veto since the conflict began. According to The New Arab, Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire include the disarmament of Hamas and the group’s exclusion from any post-war governance in Gaza. Hamas, in turn, has refused to accept these terms without a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.
The situation took a dramatic turn on September 9, when Israel carried out a deadly airstrike on a residential compound in Doha, Qatar, killing five senior Hamas leaders who were reportedly meeting to discuss a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war. The timing and target of the strike led many observers to conclude that Israel was attempting to sabotage ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Despite the loss of its leaders, Hamas has insisted it remains committed to talks aimed at ending the conflict, according to statements reported by Al Jazeera.
Amid the violence, the Al-Qassam Brigades issued a stark warning to Israeli forces: "Gaza will not be an easy prey for your army," the group declared, vowing to confront Israeli troops with "an army of martyrs, thousands of ambushes, and engineered explosive devices." The statement continued, "We have prepared fighters to plant explosive devices inside [Israeli] occupation vehicles," and identified Israeli bulldozers as "high-value targets." These threats, reported by The New Arab, reflect the group’s determination to resist any further incursion and its willingness to use the hostages as leverage.
The fate of the hostages remains a deeply divisive issue within Israel. While most of those captured on October 7, 2023, have since been released or exchanged as part of prisoner swaps, a significant number have died—some in Israeli airstrikes or firefights, according to Israeli officials. The looming possibility that the remaining captives may never return has rekindled painful memories of past tragedies, most notably the case of Ron Arad.
Complicating matters further, the International Criminal Court in November 2024 issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice, adding another layer of legal and diplomatic pressure on the country’s leadership.
As the war grinds on, the prospects for a negotiated settlement appear increasingly remote. Both sides remain entrenched, with Israel demanding the total defeat and disarmament of Hamas, and Hamas insisting on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Meanwhile, the people of Gaza continue to pay the heaviest price, and the families of the hostages are left to wonder if they will ever see their loved ones again.
In a conflict marked by intransigence and tragedy, the release of the "farewell" photos stands as a grim reminder of the human stakes at play—and the urgent need for a resolution that has so far remained elusive.