Hamas's military wing on Thursday released a photo of a prisoner who was killed by one of his guards “in revenge,” and the Israeli military responded after his body, which was photographed in November, was found in the Gaza Strip.
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Al-Bab – the official spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Ali forces – said: “After the investigation, it was found that the soldier assigned to guard the slain enemy prisoner took revenge, contrary to instructions, after learning of the death of his sons in the enemy massacre.” – Al-Qassam Brigades Abu Obeida in a press statement.
The Israeli military told AFP the published photo was of “a hostage who was killed and whose body was found during a joint operation” between the army and Israeli security forces in November. “The family in question has been notified,” it added.
Of the 251 people taken hostage during Hamas' October 7 attack, 111 are still being held in Gaza, and the Israeli military has declared 39 of them dead.
Hamas's military wing announced Monday that it had opened an “investigation” after its fighters “killed a hostage” and “wounded two hostages” in “two separate incidents” in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Obeida stressed that these facts “do not represent our ethics and the teachings of our religion in treating prisoners, and we will tighten the instructions,” reiterating that he holds “the enemy fully responsible for all the suffering and dangers that its prisoners are exposed to.”
The war in Gaza broke out after an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which led to the deaths of 1,198 people, the majority of them civilians, according to a count conducted by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.
At least 40,005 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli retaliation, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which has not provided details on the number of civilians and fighters killed.
On Thursday, talks began in Doha between Israelis and American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators to negotiate an agreement on the release of the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire.
