Israel's controversy over Hamas member: "Do you want to die alone or with your family?"

There have been reports that Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, is applying ultimatum pressure to members of the Palestinian armed faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip by calling them right before carrying out an airstrike and asking them to choose whether to die alone or with their families.

The Times of Israel reported on the 1st (local time) that such incidents have occurred at least five times in recent months, citing the Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

According to reports, Muhammad Aliyan al-Bayouq, a Hamas elite unit member who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip on the 28th of last month, received a phone call from a Shin Bet agent just before his death.

Shin Bet agents reportedly asked him to "decide whether to go up to the roof alone and be killed and save his family, or stay inside and take the hit with his family."

Albayouq went up to the roof alone to protect his family from harm, but was struck by an airstrike by the Israeli military and died on the spot. The bereaved family reported that during this process, his aunt, who followed him outside to stop him, was also seriously injured.

The Israeli military and Shin Bet did not issue an official statement on this report.

Israeli authorities have maintained the position that the casualties of civilians in the Gaza Strip are the result of Hamas members hiding in civilian areas, building weapons depots, and using residents as 'human shields'.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that it continued precision airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip and killed key Hamas members one after another.

In particular, the Israeli military emphasized that it killed a commander who was involved in Hamas holding many Israelis hostage during Hamas' surprise attack on October 7, 2023, through an airstrike on Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on the 29th of last month.

Israel has increased attacks targeting militants in the Gaza Strip in recent months.

After the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect in October last year through mediation by the United States, the so-called "yellow line" was established dividing Israeli-controlled areas and Hamas-controlled areas. Recently, Israeli-controlled areas have expanded to about 63% of the entire Gaza Strip.

As Hamas refuses to disarm and Israel also refuses to withdraw its troops, U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip is at a stalemate.