Israeli air strikes killed 13 hostages held in Gaza: Hamas’ big claim

The 13 held by Hamas have been killed in the Israel air strikes in the last 24 hours, the wing commander of the Palestinian militant group said.

In a statement, the militant group said that the 13 hostages included both Israelis and foreigners, as per media reports.

“Thirteen prisoners… including foreigners” were killed in five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.

Moreover, Israel says Hamas has taken more than 150 people hostage, including both civilians and security forces. They also said that the families of the ones being held hostage have been informed of the situation.

Israel-Hamas conflict

After Hamas launched dozens of rockets in a surprise attack towards Israel on Saturday that killed more than 1,300 people, Israel also showered the Gaza Strip with rockets overnight on Thursday, killing more than 1,500 people.

According to the Hamas media office in Gaza, at least 500 children are among the dead.

The Israeli Defence Force has also ordered the UN to evacuate the citizens of North Gaza towards the southern territory within 24 hours today.

The densely populated area of Gaza that houses more than 2.2 million people is facing a severe humanitarian crisis as the whole region has been blockaded by the Israeli security forces.