Hamas’s military wing has reported that two of its guards have shot and killed one Israeli hostage in Gaza and seriously wounded two female hostages. The Israeli military responded, stating it does not possess information to confirm or refute these claims.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed on social media that the incidents occurred separately and mentioned that efforts are underway to save the lives of the injured hostages. Details about the hostages or the specific circumstances of the attacks have not been disclosed, as an investigation is currently ongoing.
Ubaida attributed the violence to what he described as Israeli “massacres” of Palestinians. The Israeli military assured they would investigate the credibility of these claims and provide updates as further information emerges.
This statement marks the first instance in which Hamas has claimed its guards killed hostages amid the ongoing conflict, previously suggesting that hostages were killed due to Israeli airstrikes. Historically, Israel has criticized Hamas’s declarations about hostages’ deaths as tactics of psychological warfare.
Recent Israeli figures indicate that 251 individuals were kidnapped during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel. It is believed that 111 hostages are still held in Gaza, alongside the bodies of 39 individuals whom the Israeli military reports as deceased.
Furthermore, two Israeli civilians who entered Palestinian territory independently are also held, along with the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed during the Gaza war in 2014. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, at least 39,929 individuals have lost their lives in the region during the ongoing conflict.
Hamas’s statement coincides with the resumption of discussions aimed at ending the war and facilitating the return of remaining hostages in Cairo or Doha. Israel has announced plans to send a delegation to engage with mediators from multiple countries, while Hamas has declined to send negotiators, instead requesting a presentation of the agreed-upon plan from previous discussions.
