Hamas says it will free foreign hostages ‘in the next few days’

• READ MORE: More than 50 killed in Israeli strike on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp 

Hamas’s armed wing has said it will free the foreign hostages in its captivity in the coming days – as it vowed to turn Gaza into a graveyard for Israel’s military.

Around 240 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, after the militant group attacked communities across southern Israel on October 7 – triggering a fierce bombing campaign and ground incursion of the territory by the Israeli military.

Five hostages have been released to date, including four after negotiations through a diplomatic backchannel and one following an operation by the Israeli army.

In a televised address, Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said: ‘We have informed intermediaries that we will release a certain number of foreigners in the next few days.’ 

The announcement came as international warnings increased over the spiralling bloodshed and mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, on a day in which Israeli troops and Hamas militants engaged in ‘fierce battles’ in the north of the strip.

Around 240 hostages are believed to be currently held by Hamas in Gaza, after the militant group attacked communities across southern Israel on October 7

Hamas ‘s armed wing has said it will free the foreign hostages in its captivity in the coming days – as it vowed to turn Gaza into a graveyard for Israel’s military. Pictured: Palestinians look for survivors following Israeli airstrike in Gaza 

Shocking footage from the aftermath of the attack on October 7 shows festival tents empty, with abandoned cars of those trying to escape strewn on the side of the road

Palestinians look for survivors under the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza 

‘Gaza will be a graveyard and a quagmire for the enemy, its soldiers and its political and military leadership,’ said Obeida.

Warplanes kept up a relentless barrage of strikes on Gaza, where the Hamas-run health ministry said that 8,525 people had died so far, including over 3,500 children.

The ministry later said at least 50 people were killed in an Israeli bombardment of a refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

Buildings were levelled in the densely-populated neighbourhood, opening up huge sinkholes, with residents likening it to an earthquake and saying that the ground began to collapse around them.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.  

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