Hamas armed wing says seven hostages killed in Gaza.
Gaza hostages killed in Israeli bombardment. Hamas claims over 70 deaths. Israeli officials silent. Conflict toll rises.
In Cairo on March 1st, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam brigades, stated that seven hostages in Gaza were killed by Israeli military bombardment. He did not provide specific details to support this claim. Abu Ubaida also mentioned on Telegram that the total number of hostages killed due to Israeli military operations in Gaza has surpassed 70. Israeli officials have generally refrained from responding to Hamas' public statements about the hostages, dismissing them as psychological warfare. The Israeli military campaign was launched in response to Hamas militants killing 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducting at least 250 individuals on October 7th, according to Israeli reports. The ongoing military assault on the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. In late November, during a week-long truce, Hamas released over 100 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Israel releasing approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners. At the beginning of the conflict, Hamas had threatened to execute hostages in response to Israeli military strikes, and Israel has accused Hamas of executing at least two hostages whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli military.