The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has issued a statement following Hamas’ announcement yesterday that an “Israeli” captive has been killed in Gaza following “Israeli” strikes.

 

The IOF said that it is examining the information released by Hamas, and that “at this stage, we cannot confirm or refute it.”

 

“[IOF] representatives are in contact with her family and are keeping them updated with all available information.

 

“Hamas continues to engage in psychological terror and act with extreme brutality,” the statement added.

 

Yesterday, Hamas' military spokesperson, Abu Obaida, revealed that communication was reestablished with operatives tasked with guarding “Israeli” captives in northern Gaza, an area facing intense bombardment.

 

He announced that one female 'Israeli' captive had been killed and warned that the life of another remains at risk.

 

In a statement shared via his Telegram channel, Abu Obaida placed full responsibility for the captives' safety on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. He accused them of endangering the captives’ lives due to their ongoing military aggression.

 

Abu Obaida further stated that "the enemy must prepare to face the dilemma of missing remains of its dead captives," hinting at the destruction caused by relentless airstrikes on Gaza.

 

Following the announcement, Hamas published two photos of a body, captioning them as "a new victim of Netanyahu and [Israeli Occupation Forces Chief] Herzi Halevi."