GAZA, PALESTINE - RELEASED ON APRIL 15, 2025 - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “AL-QASSAM BRIGADES” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY: The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has released a video message on Tuesday, April 15, addressed to the families of Israeli soldiers held captive in Gaza, warning them to prepare for the return of their loved ones “in black coffins.” The video, shared via the group’s Telegram channel, includes images of coffins used in previous prisoner handovers to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The footage is accompanied by written messages in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. In the video, the Qassam Brigades deliver a warning message: "Dear families of the prisoners, be prepared. Soon, your children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart by shrapnel from your army’s missile. Prepare their burial places now. Your leadership has signed the decision to execute the prisoners in the Gaza Strip. Wait and you will see…" The group places full responsibility for the fate of the captives on the Israeli government, saying that its leadership has effectively authorized the execution of prisoners in Gaza. The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January. At least 51,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in the ongoing Israeli genocide since October 2023. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.