Hamas chief says Israeli hostages exposed to same "death, destruction" as Palestinians

The leader of Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas said on Wednesday that Israeli hostages held in the besieged Gaza Strip were subject to the same "death and destruction" that Palestinians have faced.

Hamas has told mediators that it was necessary for the "massacre" to stop and called on people to continue protesting, particularly in the West, to mount pressure on decision makers, Ismail Haniyeh said in a recorded video message.