Hamas threatens to 'neutralise' hostages if Israel launches rescue op

Hamas said it had information that Israel intended to carry out a hostage rescue operation similar to one conducted in Gaza's

Nuseirat camp

in June and threatened to "neutralise" the captives if any such action took place, according to an internal statement seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
In the statement dated Nov 22, Hamas told its operatives not to consider what the repercussions of following the instructions might be and said it held Israel responsible for the fate of the hostages. The statement, which was circulated to its factions by the intelligence unit of the group's military wing

Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades

, did not say when any Israeli operation was expected to take place.
Israel's Nuseirat rescue operation on June 9 saw Israeli forces free four hostages in a raid Palestinian officials said killed more than 200 people, making it one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults of the war.
Hamas told its operatives to "tighten" the living conditions of the captives. In a section titled "recommendations", it told operatives to "activate neutralisation orders...as an immediate and swift response to any adventure by the enemy." reuters