Israel-Gaza war: Hamas says ‘almost 50’ Israeli hostages killed in Tel Aviv’s raids

The headline of this article is 'Israel-Gaza war: Hamas says ‘almost 50’ Israeli hostages killed in Tel Aviv’s raids'. It discusses the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, where the militant group Hamas claims that nearly 50 Israeli hostages have been killed. These hostages were held in the Gaza Strip since the attacks that took place on October 7. Their deaths are attributed to the Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory. The claim was made by the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and was disseminated through their Telegram channel. However, the news agency Agence France-Presse was unable to immediately verify the authenticity of this claim. In response to the brutal attacks carried out by Hamas on southern Israel, Israel initiated a large-scale air and artillery bombardment of Gaza.

Earlier, the Israeli army reported that 224 individuals were abducted by militants during the attack, which resulted in the death of approximately 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians. The families of the 224 hostages have been informed of their loved ones' situation. The military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated that this number is subject to change based on the intelligence they gather. Amidst the ongoing conflict, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Gaza as food supplies are running out due to a total Israeli blockade. The Israeli government has stated that at least half of the hostages hold foreign passports, but this information could not be confirmed by Agence France-Presse.

Concurrently, leaders of the European Union (EU) are considering calling for temporary halts in the Israel-Hamas war to allow aid to enter Gaza. The EU is grappling with how to respond to the conflict, especially as fighting continues in Ukraine. The 27-member bloc has long been divided between countries that are more pro-Palestinian, such as Ireland and Spain, and those that are staunch supporters of Israel, including Germany and Austria. While there has been strong condemnation of the Hamas attack, which Israel claims resulted in the death of at least 1,400 people and the abduction of over 220 individuals, there is less consensus on urging Israel to halt its retaliatory bombardment of Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that the Israeli bombardment has resulted in the death of more than 7,000 people.