Hamas guards kill Israeli hostages
For the first time since October 7, Hamas acknowledges the killing of a hostage. Two female captives are also said to have been severely injured by members of the Al-Kassam Brigades. The terrorist organization blames Israel for what it calls the "massacre".
An Israeli hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip was killed by guards, the spokesman for the armed wing of the terrorist organization announced. This is the first time Hamas has acknowledged the killing of a hostage. Previously, any deaths among the captives, if acknowledged at all, were blamed on Israeli military strikes.
In a separate incident, two female hostages were reportedly severely injured, the spokesman for the Al-Kassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, further stated. "The enemy government bears full responsibility for these massacres and the resulting reactions that endanger the lives of the Zionist prisoners," he wrote in a statement on Telegram.
An investigation committee has been formed to look into the incident, and the results will be announced later. Efforts are being made to save the two injured hostages. Hamas has not yet disclosed the identity of the deceased or the injured, or the timeline of the incidents. At the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, Abu Obeida had threatened to execute hostages.
Israeli Army has no information yet
The spokesman for the Israeli army, Daniel Hagari, said on X that there is currently no intelligence information to confirm or deny Hamas' claims. The army is investigating Obaida's statement.
Hamas and other terrorist groups kidnapped 251 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip on October 7. 111 are still believed to be there, but it is unclear how many are still alive. The Israeli military has officially confirmed 39 deaths. According to a confidential report by Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, "the number of surviving hostages in the humanitarian category is estimated to be between 20 and 35, depending on interpretation". The "humanitarian category" includes women, children, and elderly and sick people, with some interpretation room in the latter two cases.
The statement from Hamas' spokesman about the hostage killing was made by The Commission of the Al-Kassam Brigades. Despite the injury to two female hostages, The Commission continues to hold Israel responsible for the alleged "massacres."
