A Jewish man prays for hostages with bereaved families gather outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Israel on October 10, 2024. On Sunday, he said his government is looking into Hamas claims that an Israeli captive of the militant group was killed in an Israeli strike on northern Gaza. File Photo by Debbie Hill/ UPI |
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Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Israel is looking into claims made by Hamas' military over the weekend that a female hostage was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
"Yesterday, the Hamas terrorist organization released documentation that purportedly shows the body of one of our female hostages. We are checking the information which, at this stage, cannot be verified," Netanyahu told officials during a government meeting on Sunday, according to a statement from his office.
"We are in contact with the family and an appropriate statement has been issued to all the families. Our hearts are with them."
The identity of the hostage has not been released to the public.
Netanyahu said he had spoken with the mother of the purportedly slain hostage.
"It is difficult to describe the nightmare she has been enduring. We embrace her; we embrace the family. We are committed to doing everything to bring back all of the hostages, both the living and the deceased, of course," he said.
Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, on Saturday published images to social media platform Telegram showing a body covered in a bloody white sheet.
He said it was the body of an Israeli taken kidnapped Oct. 7, 2023, and that she had been killed in an Israeli operation in northern Gaza.
"After the return of contact that had been cut off for weeks with the Mujahideen tasked with protecting the enemy's prisoners, it became clear that one of the enemy's female prisoners had been killed in an area subjected to Zionist aggression in the northern Gaza Strip," he said.
He added that the life of a second female hostage, who was purportedly held with the slain captive, was "still in danger," suggesting she was critically injured.
"War criminal Netanyahu, his government and his army leaders hear full responsibility for the lives of their prisoners, and they are the ones who insist on causing their suffering and death," he said.
Following release of the images and statement on Saturday, Israel Defense Forces international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said they were "examining the information" and were not able to refute it at that time.
"Hamas continues to engage in psychological terror and act with extreme brutality," he said in a statement.
"Please refrain from spreading rumors and information that may harm the families of the hostages."
Two hundred and fifty-one Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in its bloody assault on Israel that launched the ongoing war that has since killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Fewer than 100 hostages are believed to be still held by Hamas, some of whom have been confirmed dead by the Israeli military.
