Hamas kills Israeli hostages
For the first time since October 7th, Hamas acknowledges the killing of a hostage. Two female captives were also reportedly seriously 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 seriously 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 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 commented on 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
The spokesman for the Israeli Army, Daniel Hagari, said on X that there is no intelligence information available at this time to confirm or deny Hamas' claims. The army is currently reviewing Obaida's statement.
Hamas and other terrorist groups abducted 251 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip on October 7th. 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 Commission, established to investigate the incident, will release their findings regarding the hostage killing and injuries at a later time. The Commission, comprised of international human rights experts, is working diligently to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation.
