Israeli hostage 'killed by guard' in Gaza - as two women captives 'seriously wounded'
It is the first time Hamas's armed al-Qassam Brigades has said its guards killed hostages. It has previously often attributed hostage deaths to Israeli bombardments on Gaza.
Monday 12 August 2024 21:26, UK
An Israeli male hostage held in Gaza has been shot dead by his guard, Hamas has said.
In a separate incident, two women being held in Gaza were seriously wounded, the militant group said.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas' armed al-Qassam Brigades, said a committee has been formed to investigate what happened in both incidents.
More details will be shared later, he added in the statement, posted on Telegram, adding that efforts were under way to save the two wounded hostages.
It is the first time al-Qassam has said its guards have killed hostages. It has previously often attributed hostage deaths to Israeli bombardments on Gaza.
In a post on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said: "At this stage there is no intelligence document to confirm or refute Hamas' allegations.
"We continue to investigate the credibility of the statement and will provide information where we have it."
Both statements came shortly after world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer joined together in a call for "de-escalation and regional stability" in the Middle East.
In recent days, tensions in the region have risen further following the killings of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
There have been strong rumours Hezbollah and Iran could retaliate in the next 24 to 48 hours.
In a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Sir Keir on Monday urged Iran and its allies not to "jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages" in Gaza.
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The three men said they "welcome the tireless work of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages".
"We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability," they continued.
"The fighting must end now and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released."
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Sir Keir has also spoken to the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone, Sky News understands.
Hamas burst through defences in southern Israel on 7 October last year. They killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Since then, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive on Gaza, according to its health ministry.