The group’s military wing confirms the news after an investigation, without specifying when the captives died.
The military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas says seven more prisoners held in the Gaza Strip have died following Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, made the statement Friday on the Telegram app.
The group said it confirmed the news following investigations carried out in recent weeks after losing contact with the fighters who were holding the prisoners.
Hamas captured around 250 Israelis and foreigners during its October 7 attacks in southern Israel, of whom around 130 are believed to remain detained.
The Qassam Brigades said three of the captives mentioned in Friday’s statement had been identified, but it did not say when the seven died.
The group said the total number of captives killed as a result of Israeli military operations “may have exceeded” 70.
“Second priority” for Israel
The deaths of the captives show that the Israeli government considers them a “secondary priority,” Omar Ashour, a professor of security and military studies at the Doha Institute of Higher Studies, told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“The first priority (of the Israeli army) is to destroy the armed wing of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, to weaken them in any way, even if it costs the lives of some hostages,” Ashour said.
The deaths reported Friday also indicate that Israel’s war strategy is not achieving its goals, he said, adding: “We are on the 147th day of war, and more and more hostages are dying, the majority of them under Israeli fire. »
During a week-long truce brokered by Qatar in November, 105 captives were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons.
“The only way to safely release the hostages is the way it was done before – through some sort of negotiations. The Israeli government knows it/…They just don’t want to admit it,” Ashour said.
Truce talks underway
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 30,228 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The death toll from the October 7 attacks in Israel stands at 1,139.
Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators are currently working to broker a new truce.
In telephone conversations Thursday, the leaders of the three countries outlined what a ceasefire agreement might look like, the White House said.
“The leaders emphasized that the release of the hostages would result in an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza for a period of at least six weeks,” the White House said.
However, Israeli news site Walla, citing a senior Israeli official, reported that Israel had told Egypt and Qatar that it would not continue ceasefire negotiations until Hamas would not have sent a list of Israeli prisoners still alive in the Gaza Strip.
The official said Israel was also seeking a “serious response” from Hamas on the number of Palestinian prisoners it is seeking to release as part of a possible deal, Walla reported.
