Hamas announced on their military wing’s Telegram channel Friday that seven Israeli hostages had been killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The terrorist organization named only three of the hostages they claimed were killed and promised they would later make known the names of the other four allegedly slain captives, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Does The UN Hold My Son?’: Mother Alleges That Her Son’s Lifeless Body Was Kidnapped By Hamas)
Hamas’s armed wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, announced on their Telegram channel on Friday that seven hostages had been killed during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) March 1, 2024
The named deceased hostages were allegedly Chaim Gershon Peri, aged 79, Yoram Itak Metzger, aged 80 and Amiram Israel Cooper, aged 85, The Jerusalem Post reported. All of the three were reportedly at Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 massacre.
“We have previously announced that our contact has been cut off with our mujahideen [Hamas fighters] who are guarding a number of enemy prisoners, and that we believe that a number of the prisoners have been killed as a result of the Zionist bombing,” Hamas posted on Telegram, the outlet reported.
“After examination and scrutiny during recent weeks, we have confirmed the martyrdom of a number of our mujahideen and the killing of seven enemy prisoners in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Zionist bombing,” they reportedly added.
Hamas further alleged that as many as over 70 of the hostages could have been killed by Israeli operations and that such targeting was deliberate by the Israelis, the outlet reported. The terrorist organization reportedly also claimed that “the price we will take in exchange for five or ten living prisoners is the same price we would have taken in exchange for all the prisoners if the enemy’s bombing operations had not killed them.”
The last statement was a reference to a suggested ceasefire proposal that would start on Ramadan during which Hamas claimed they would release one Israeli hostage for every 10 Palestinian prisoners, according to The Jerusalem Post.
People have argued Hamas’ claim regarding the hostages deserves skepticism. “Propaganda published by Hamas spokesperson says hostages fighters guarding the captives died due to Israeli airstrikes. He did not provide evidence to [substantiate] his claim,” Joe Truzman, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, tweeted.
Propaganda published by Hamas spokesperson says hostages fighters guarding the captives died due to Israeli airstrikes. He did not provide evidence to susbtantiate his claim.
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) March 1, 2024
An internal Israeli intelligence assessment leaked to The New York Times on Feb. 6 estimated that at least 32 of the then 136 remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip had been killed. Hamas released footage of one captive saying two of her fellow hostages were killed by the IDF back in January, a claim the IDF disputed. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli military, said their policy was not to target areas where they suspected hostages were present in briefing. However, the officer acknowledged that in “retrospect we know that we struck targets near where they were held.”