Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has claimed that a 10-month-old child Kfir Bibas, his 4-year-old brother, and their mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. All of them were held hostage by Hamas.
According to reports, Israel has said that they are verifying the claim made by Hamas.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is assessing the accuracy of the information,” the military said in a statement. The development took place ahead of the final release of hostages under the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar.
On Tuesday, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on the fifth day of its temporary ceasefire with Hamas.
Earlier Tuesday, Hamas released 12 hostages the group had been holding captive since October 7.
The exchange is part of an ongoing cease-fire between the warring sides, and came as mediators met in Qatar to try to extend the cease-fire beyond Wednesday.
The Biden administration has told Israel that it must work to avoid “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza if it renews its ground campaign aimed at eradicating the Hamas militant group, senior US officials said.
The Democratic administration, seeking to avoid more large-scale civilian casualties or mass displacement like that seen before the current temporary pause in the fighting, underscored to the Israelis that they must operate with far greater precision in southern Gaza than they did in the north, the officials said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
With inputs from PTI
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