Seven hostages were killed as a result of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Hamas claims in a statement.

“We confirm that the number of enemy prisoners killed as a result of the military operations of the enemy army in the Gaza Strip may exceed the seventy captives,’ the organization claims in a post that includes video of three of the hostages.

Hamas named three of the hostages who were reportedly killed as Chaim Gershon Perry, 79, Yoram Itak Metzger, 80, and Amiram Israel Cooper, 85. The terror group said a later announcement would contain the names of the remaining four.

All three men were abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz during the October 7 attacks.

The information that provided by Hamas are unconfirmed, while it has in the past shared false news about the health status of the hostages in the context of psychological warfare, comments the Jerusalem Post.

“We have previously announced that we have lost contact with our mujahideen who are guarding a number of enemy prisoners in our sector,” Hamas announced in its cable, “and that we believe a number of the prisoners were killed as a result of Zionist shelling.

“After examination and verification over the past few weeks, we have confirmed the martyrdom of some of our mujahideen and the killing of seven enemy prisoners in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist bombing.”

“We confirm that the number of enemy prisoners killed as a result of the military operations of the enemy army in the Gaza Strip may exceed seventy prisoners,” the statement said. “We were willing to preserve the lives of the prisoners, but it has become clear that the enemy leadership is deliberately killing their prisoners to get rid of this capital.”

Israel and Hamas can be seen to discuss a new agreement which could lead to the release of some of the 130 or so hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a pause in the war, now in its fifth month – although yesterday’s bloodshed in Gaza with over 100 dead brings new “clouds” to the talks.