7 hostages killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza, says Hamas

Hamas spokesperson reports 7 hostages killed in Gaza due to Israeli military bombardment, bringing total hostage casualties to over 70 amid ongoing conflict

7 hostages held in Gaza were reportedly killed due to Israeli military bombardment, as stated by Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ al-Qassam brigades, on Friday.

Abu Ubaida did not provide specific details or a timeline to support the claim, but the al-Qassam brigades asserted that over 70 hostages have now lost their lives as a result of Israeli military actions in Gaza, as per a statement on Telegram.

Israeli officials have largely refrained from responding to Hamas’ public statements regarding the hostages, considering it a form of psychological warfare.

The Israeli military’s campaign comes after Hamas militants reportedly killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted at least 250 individuals on October 7, according to Israeli reports.

In response, Israel initiated a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.

During a one-week ceasefire in late November, Hamas released over 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Israel freeing approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners.

At the beginning of the conflict, Hamas had threatened to execute hostages in retaliation for Israeli military strikes. Israel has accused Hamas of executing at least two of the hostages recovered by the Israeli military.

Source: Newsroom

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