Alwaght-The Israeli regime has eventually admitted that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas is detaining fours Israeli, including two of its dead troops in the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli regime media, one of those detained who was captured in September after he sneaked into the Gaza Strip for unknown reasons.
The man who has been in Gaza since then was named as Avraham Mengistu, 28, of Ashkelon. The gag order on his case was lifted Thursday morning following a lawsuit from Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronoth newspapers.
Mengistu’s family was told by the Israeli regime authorities to keep the incident under wraps while officials attempted to negotiate his release. After diplomatic channels proved fruitless, the family demanded the gag order be lifted.
Israeli regime's army sources also confirmed a second citizen of the regime was also being held in Gaza.
Israeli regime officials added that Hamas holds the remains of dead Israeli troops Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul and that they have been trying to negotiate for their release, along with the other captives.
Earlier Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal was quoted on Palestinian media as saying the Israeli regime sent a European mediator to negotiate the release of the bodies of the two dead troops. Meshaal said Hamas declined the offer and replied that any negotiation on the issue would depend on the release of Hamas members arrested in 2014.
Israel regime started its airstrikes against the Palestinian territory in early July 2014 and later expanded its military campaign with a ground invasion. The war ended in late August that year.
Nearly 2,300 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in Israel’s 50-day onslaught and over 11,100 others, including nearly 3,380 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people, were injured. The Israeli regime confirmed 64 of troops were also killed during the war.