A Dangerous New Plan for the Hostages Is Being Weighed in Gaza

Armed factions in Gaza are reportedly considering transferring Israeli hostages into Gaza City, in a move designed to link their fate directly to Israel’s military plans.

According to the London-based daily Asharq Al-Awsat, senior figures inside and outside the enclave have been discussing the idea for days, though no final decision has been made. The proposal, if carried out, would mark a major shift in strategy — turning hostages into leverage against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign to seize control of Gaza’s largest city.

“The goal is to increase pressure on Israel and connect the hostages’ fate to Netanyahu’s decisions,” sources told the newspaper. Until now, Hamas and other armed groups have sought to preserve hostages’ lives to use them as bargaining chips for prisoner swaps or ceasefire negotiations. But with Israel’s ground campaign intensifying, militants may choose to raise the stakes further.

The reported plan is unprecedented. Militant sources said such an option was not considered in other parts of Gaza already captured by Israeli forces, but Gaza City — at the heart of Israel’s current military push — represents “the most dangerous front.”

If implemented, the move could signal that terrorists are preparing to escalate the crisis, using hostages not just as negotiating tools but as human shields tied to the fate of an entire city under siege.