Israeli airstrikes killed a total of seven Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Resistance, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Friday evening. 

"We previously announced the disruption of our communication with our fighters guarding a group of enemy prisoners in [the Gaza Strip]. We [suspected] that some of the prisoners were killed as a result of Zionist airstrikes," Abu Odeida stressed.

"After thorough examination in recent weeks, we confirm the martyrdom of several of our fighters and the death of seven enemy prisoners in the sector due to Zionist airstrikes," the spokesperson said.

He released the names of three captives killed by their own military, including three elderly captives who were mentioned in a previous announcement on December 23, 2023.

The three were identified as Chaim Ben Nechama (Peri), 79, Yoram Ben Miriam (Metzger), 80, and Amiram Ben Sara (Cooper), 84.

Abu Obeida added that the group would later disclose the names of the remaining four deceased captives after the Resistance confirmed their identities.

#كتائب_القسام تنشر فيديو بعنوان: "رغم حرصنا على الحفاظ على حياتهم لا زال نتنياهو يصر على قتلهم، سبعتهم قتلوا بسلاح جيشكم"#فلسطين_المحتلة #غزة #طوفان_الأقصى #الميادين pic.twitter.com/LzoXqLn7Ao

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) March 1, 2024

Read more: Israeli army admits to 32 captives killed in Gaza

Furthermore, he revealed that the number of "enemy prisoners" killed by Israeli occupation forces "may have exceeded seventy."

"Throughout this time, we have sought to preserve the lives of the prisoners. However, it is evident that the enemy's leadership deliberately intends to eliminate this issue by killing its captives."

However, the military spokesperson confirmed that the Resistance would only exchange the same number of Palestinian detainees for the same number of Israeli captives, be they dead or alive.

Immediately after Abu Obeida's statement, al-Qassam Brigades' Military Media released footage of the three captives, featuring three phrases written in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. The phrases stated, "We tried to keep them alive, but Netanyahu insisted on killing them. All 7 killed by IDF weapons."

A poster al-Qassam Brigades published today showed the Israeli Prime Minister crossing off a picture of his "buddy" Yoram Itak Metzger with a red marker.

"Netanyahu abandoned his buddies to face their fate alone without saving them," the poster read.

"Netanyahu abandoned his buddies to face their fate alone without saving them," says a poster that al-Qassam Brigades published today, showing the Israeli Prime Minister crossing off a picture of his "buddy" Yoram Itak Metzger with a red marker.

"After examination and scrutiny,… pic.twitter.com/18wnyntVrc

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 1, 2024

Despite the fact that the Palestinian Resistance has made extensive preparations to ensure the safety of the captives it holds, the Israeli political and military command has reportedly made concentrated efforts to eliminate any prisoners it has not been able to retrieve.

Some believe that this comes in line with the Israeli authorities' attempts to lower the price they have to pay in a prisoner exchange deal, which is expected to eventually occur via mediated talks.

Read more: Israeli fibs: What really happened when two captives were retrieved?