The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas , has reported that in the past 24 hours, nine people who were among the individuals captured by Hamas during an attack on Israel a week ago have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. The group stated that at least five Israelis and four foreigners lost their lives in these Israeli strikes, which targeted the locations where the prisoners were being held, although specific details were not provided.
With these latest casualties, the total number of fatalities among the estimated 150 hostages, including Israelis, foreigners, and dual-nationals, who were seized by Hamas gunmen on October 7, has now reached 22.
The militant group previously said it would kill one Israeli civilian every time Israel targeted Gaza with airstrikes.
“We announce that every targeting of our people who are safe in their homes without warning, we will regretfully meet with the execution of our enemy’s civilian hostages,” it said.
At least 1,300 people have died and 3,227 have been injured in Israel since the country was attacked.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated “localised raids” into Gaza with the objective of locating deceased Israelis and making efforts to find missing citizens.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “We are striking our enemies with unprecedented might,” and he emphasized that this was just the beginning of their actions.
The IDF also confirmed on Twitter that they had conducted these raids in Gaza to eliminate the threat posed by terrorist cells and their infrastructure. During these operations, soldiers collected evidence that will be instrumental in the search for hostages. armed wing of Hamas
One of the individuals missing in the ongoing conflict is the 75-year-old mother of British citizen Noam Sagi. She was reported missing from the Nir Oz kibbutz, which is situated near the border with Gaza. The situation highlights the personal toll and human impact of the conflict on families and individuals caught in the midst of the turmoil.