The order from Hamas leaders has been issued: militiamen controlling hostages in Gaza must shoot prisoners if they think Israeli forces are coming.
Israeli officials told the New York Times.
The newspaper, which also reports on American operations to help locate hostages with drones, adds that a "small group of hostages" are believed to be held near Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, to be used as shields humans.
Sinwar, according to the Americans, "probably went back into hiding under Khan Yunis."
(Unioneonline/ss)
