According to Hamas, seven hostages from its October 7 raids were killed in Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s largest refugee camp, including three international passport holders.
On Tuesday, dozens more remains were discovered at the Jabalia camp, where Israel claimed to have killed a Hamas military commander in a raid on a tunnel complex.
“Seven detainees were killed in the Jabalia massacre yesterday, including three holders of foreign passports,” said a Hamas military wing statement.
There were no specifics provided, making it impossible to independently verify the claim. The military branch, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, previously stated that “almost 50” hostages were killed in prior operations.
According to Israel, 240 captives were taken as Hamas fighters crossed the border to carry out raids that murdered 1,400 people, predominantly civilians.
Israel’s raid on the Jabalia camp was one of many since the attacks, which have killed more than 8,500 people, according to the Hamas health ministry, with two-thirds of them being women and children.
According to the Israeli military, its fighter jets “assassinated Ibrahim Biari, commander of the Jabalia brigade of the Hamas terrorist organisation, who was one of those who directed the murderous terrorist attack on October 7” .
It went on to say that the hit caused “Hamas’ underground military infrastructure beneath these buildings to collapse,” and that “many Hamas terrorists” were killed.
Faced with mounting public pressure, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the release of the hostages is a top goal of the military assault.
When asked about the civilian toll in Gaza and the risk to hostages this week, Netanyahu stated that “there must be a moral distinction between the deliberate murder of the innocent and the unintentional casualties that accompany every legitimate war, even the most just war.”