Ten Palestinians, including a journalist, were martyred, with several others injured, in Israeli raids on homes in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
Palestinian news agency “Wafa” reported early Friday, that Israeli warplanes targeted Abu Namus family’s home in Khan Yunis, killing journalist Yasser Abu Namus and his mother.
Another house, belonging to the Abu Shahma family in Ma’an area, was hit, resulting in five martyrs and multiple injuries.Israeli jets also struck the Al-Alami family’s residence on Project Road, leading to two martyrs and several injuries.
In Al-Amal neighborhood, an old crescent street house of the Mohsen family was hit, causing one martyrdom and multiple injuries. Further, Israeli airstrikes targeted a mosque in Beach Camp west of Gaza City early Friday, with local sources reporting destruction.
Since the aggression on Gaza commenced on the seventh of the current month, over 7,000 Palestinians have been martyred, including around 3,000 children, about 2,000 women, with over 18,500 injured and nearly 2,000 reports of individuals missing under rubble across Gaza’s provinces.
On Thursday, Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, intensified their claims on Thursday, asserting that close to 50 Israeli hostages, who had been held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks, fell victim to Israeli bombing raids on the Palestinian territory.
This chilling revelation was delivered through a statement published on the group’s Telegram channel, heightening tensions in an already volatile region.
The conflicting narratives surrounding the hostage situation emerged as the Israeli army, in an earlier statement, acknowledged that 224 individuals were abducted by militants during the October 7 assault, which tragically claimed the lives of 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians.
Addressing reporters, military spokesman Daniel Hagari disclosed that the count of hostages is subject to change as intelligence updates become available.
He emphasized that the Israeli military considers the safe return of these hostages a paramount objective.
Adding another layer of complexity to the situation, Israeli government figures indicated that at least half of the hostages possess foreign passports, raising concerns about the international implications of the ongoing crisis.