Hamas releases footage of 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza
Hamas's military wing on Monday released footage it claimed showed three Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Palestinian group's deadly October 7 attacks on Israel. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades video, titled "Don't let us grow old here" showed three bearded men sitting on chairs at an undisclosed location and asking to be released. Israeli media reported the three hostages were aged between 79 and 84 and came from the Nir Oz kibbutz which was targeted in the October 7 attack. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "This is a video of criminal terror that shows the brutality of Hamas towards innocent, elderly civilians in need of medical attention." The war in Gaza began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on October 7, killing around 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures. Around 250 people were taken hostage of which 129 are still being held in Gaza, according to the Israeli authorities. Gaza's health ministry says Israel has killed more than 19,400 people, mostly women and children, in a retaliatory assault that has reduced vast areas of the territory to rubble. (AFP)