Hamas announces Israeli attack strikes hostage detention position

(MENAFN) Hamas has claimed that an Israeli airstrike targeted a location in Gaza where a female Israeli hostage was being held, just hours after a ceasefire deal was announced. The agreement, brokered with the involvement of US President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is set to take effect on January 19. It will unfold in three 42-day phases, and the first phase is expected to see the release of 33 hostages, including three women.

Hamas's military spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, stated that the airstrike struck the site where the female hostage was being kept, warning that any further Israeli aggression could undermine the hope for prisoner freedom. Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel intensified airstrikes, killing at least 70 people overnight. This follows a claim from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that Hamas fired a rocket into Israel on Thursday.

Furthermore, the Israeli cabinet delayed a vote on the ceasefire deal, citing alleged violations by Hamas, which the militant group has denied. Tensions within Israel's ruling coalition, particularly from far-right factions, have complicated the approval process, with some leaders demanding a return to war after the ceasefire's initial phase.
 

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