Hamas claims 7 hostages died in Gaza camp blast, says Israeli captives face ’same death’ as Palestinians

The Israel-Gaza war gained momentum this week with airstrikes hitting a refugee camp for two consecutive days. Hamas officials said that seven hostages from its October 7 onslaught had been killed amid Israel's bombing of the Jabalia camp – including three foreign passport holders. Ismail Haniyeh – the chief of the militant group – also told mediators that Israeli hostages held in the besieged Gaza Strip were subject to the same "death and destruction" as Palestinians.

According to a Reuters report, the Hamas leader had stressed the need for the ongoing "massacre" to stop in a recorded video message for mediators. He also noted that Israeli hostages were facing the same plight as Palestinians as the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government ramps up its offensive. 

Haniyeh has accused Israel of committing “barbaric massacres against unarmed civilians” and alleged that the other country was covering its own ‘defeats’.

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Hamas claims that seven of its 240 hostages died in Tuesday's bombing – a claim impossible to verify at this time. According to estimates shared by the Palestinian health ministry, more than 8,700 people have died since war broke out on the narrow strip.

The developments came even as dozens of people with foreign passports entered Egypt via the Rafah crossing for the first time since war broke out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "continue until victory" over Hamas on Wednesday as some wounded Palestinians were rushed out for urgent medical care. Meanwhile Turkey and Iran have called for a regional conference aimed at averting the spread of the Israel-Hamas war.

(With inputs from agencies)