Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades reported in a video posted on its Telegram channel on Sunday that three hostages, including a U.S. citizen, were killed during an Israeli military operation on Saturday.
The operation, which took place in central Gaza’s al-Nuseirat, resulted in the rescue of several hostages.
The video did not disclose the names of those who were killed, but it showed three unidentifiable bodies with their faces censored. The video also included a message stating, “Your captives will not be released unless our prisoners are freed.”
The Israeli military operation led to the rescue of four hostages held by Hamas. However, it also resulted in the deaths of 274 Palestinians, according to Palestinian medics.
This figure marks the highest Palestinian death toll within a 24-hour period in the Gaza conflict for months, with many women and children among the casualties.
Hamas initially claimed on Saturday that some hostages were killed during the operation, but this assertion was quickly dismissed as a “blatant lie” by an Israeli military spokesman.
