Israel’s military launched an investigation Saturday into Hamas’s claim that a female hostage has been killed during Israeli operations in northern Gaza, as uncertainty surrounds the fate of dozens of remaining captives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it cannot “verify or refute” the militant group’s announcement but confirmed its representatives are in contact with the unidentified woman’s family. “This evening the terrorist organization Hamas released a document in which a kidnapped woman is allegedly seen killed,” the military said in a statement.
Abu Ubeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said contact with the woman’s captors had been restored after weeks of silence, revealing her death. He added that a second female hostage held with her was injured and faces life-threatening conditions.
The development comes as Israeli authorities believe approximately 60 hostages remain alive in Gaza, with dozens more presumed dead. The hostages were among 251 people captured during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered the current conflict.
Meanwhile, Israel continued military operations across Gaza Saturday. The territory’s Hamas-run health ministry reported approximately 120 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 48 hours, contributing to a total death toll of nearly 44,000 since the war began. More than 104,000 have been injured, according to the ministry.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, and numerous other nations, has previously used hostage negotiations to attempt to influence Israeli military operations and international opinion.
