Hamas affirmed on Tuesday, October 31, that the Palestinian movement would liberate “in the coming days” foreign hostages among those it has held in Gaza since its attack on Israeli territory on October 7. “We have informed the intermediaries that we will release a certain number of foreigners in the coming days”, said Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the armed wing of the Palestinian movement, in a video broadcast by Hamas media. According to the Israeli army, nearly 240 hostages are still in the hands of Hamas. Follow our live stream.
Two Israeli soldiers died in the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF. The Israeli army announced Tuesday, in a press release, the death of two of its soldiers in fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip. As it advances in the Palestinian enclave, it reported earlier in the day that “fierce fights” with Hamas. For its part, the Palestinian Islamist movement claimed that its fighters had “annihilated” an Israeli force by ambushing him in a building in the north of the territory.
Hamas denounces deadly Israeli bombing in Jabaliya refugee camp. At least 50 people were killed Tuesday in these strikes which destroy “at least 20 buildings” in this camp in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas government’s Ministry of Health. The Israeli army did not react.
The UN Secretary General says he is “deeply concerned”. Antonio Guterres expressed his fears on Tuesday “the intensification of the conflict” between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave, warning of the risk of a “dangerous escalation beyond Gaza”. He also condemned the death of “civilians in Gaza” and reiterated its call for a humanitarian ceasefire “immediate”.
The Israeli army claims to have intercepted a missile coming from the Red Sea region. “A surface-to-surface missile was fired towards Israeli territory from the Red Sea area and was successfully intercepted by the air defense system”, the army said. Earlier in the day, Houthi rebels in Yemen, a country bordering the Red Sea, claimed to have launched “drones” towards Israel in response to its bombings against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel claims to have killed several members of Hamas. Israeli army announces strike “around 300 targets” Monday. Several members of the Islamist movement were killed, including a Hamas leader who ordered an attack on a kibbutz on October 7, details the press release published Tuesday by the general staff on Telegram. The Israeli army also demolished with explosives, Tuesday at dawn in the occupied West Bank, the empty house of the number two of Palestinian Hamas, in exile in Lebanon for several years.