Hamas Says 'Almost 50' Israeli Hostages Killed Since Israel Began Air Strikes In Gaza

Hamas's armed wing said that 'almost 50' Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory.

Hamas's armed wing said on Thursday that "almost 50" Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory since Hamas surprise attack on Israel on October 7, as reported by the news agency AFP. "(Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners who were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist strikes and massacres has reached almost 50," the group said on its Telegram channel, as quoted by AFP.

The AFP, however, was not immediately able to verify the claim. Earlier, the Israeli army stated that 224 people were abducted by militants during the attack that left 1,400 people, mostly civilians, dead. "We have informed the families of 224 hostages. This number is changing based on the intelligence we obtain," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters, as quoted by AFP. "It will continue to change. The effort to return the hostages is a top priority."

As per the figures issued by the Israeli government that could not be confirmed by AFP, at least half of the hostages have foreign passports. An organisation in Tel Aviv that represents the families of hostages warned on Thursday that they had reached "the end of their patience" and sought an immediate meeting with top government officials. "No more patience, from now on we will fight," said the group.

"We demand that the cabinet speak to us this evening and tell us how it intends to bring them back today. We are intensifying the struggle, we are no longer waiting to be led, we are leading the struggle," said Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, who is among the captives, as quoted by AFP.

Meanwhile, after a spate of attacks on American forces in the Middle East, United States President Joe Biden has warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel in the Middle East, the White House said on Thursday. Speaking at a news briefing, White House spokesman John Kirby said, "There was a direct message relayed,” as reported by the news agency Reuters. This comes after Iran issued a warning to the US over Israel's retaliation against Hamas militants in Gaza.