GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Hamas Movement has strongly condemned what it called the deliberate assassination of three Palestinian freed prisoners in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, accusing the Israeli occupation army of escalating its genocidal war against the Palestinian people.
In an official statement on Thursday, Hamas mourned the martyrdom of Mahdi Shawer, Ayman Abu Daoud, and Bassam Abu Sneina—three freed prisoners who were released in the 2011 “Wafa al-Ahrar” prisoner exchange deal and deported to Gaza. The three were martyred on Wednesday in what Hamas described as a direct and targeted Israeli strike.
“This cowardly assassination is a desperate attempt to eliminate national symbols, break the will of our people, and punish those who chose the path of resistance,” the statement read.
Hamas affirmed that the blood of the martyrs “will not be wasted,” but will instead strengthen the resolve to continue the struggle for liberation.
The Asra Media Office earlier reported the deaths and noted that all three men were known figures in the Palestinian prisoner movement. Shawer and Abu Daoud were originally from Al-Khalil, and Abu Sneina from Jerusalem. All spent years in Israeli prisons before being released under the 2011 deal.
Hamas linked the targeted killings to a broader pattern of Israeli attacks on civilian areas and humanitarian sites across Gaza. The Movement cited airstrikes on residential neighborhoods, displacement camps in Khan Yunis, and aid distribution points, including a deadly bombing of the Mustafa Hafez School in central Gaza that reportedly killed or wounded dozens.
Hamas urged the international community and Arab and Islamic nations to act immediately to end the Israeli genocide. It also called for bringing Israel to account for its horrific violations and ongoing massacres.
