Israel says it is investigating a claim by Hamas that a female hostage has been killed during Israeli operations in northern Gaza. The woman's identity was not revealed by Hamas, and it was unclear how or when she is said to have died.

A woman who was kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip died in an Israeli attack in northern Gaza, the military arm of Hamas said on Saturday. Abu Obaida, spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, said on Telegram that another female hostage was critically injured in the attack,

West Bank residents say Israeli forces are adopting tactics similar to the ones they are deploying in Gaza, including airstrikes and the use of Palestinians as human shields.

Hamas' acting Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said in remarks broadcast on Wednesday that there would be no hostages-for-prisoners swap deal with Israel unless the war in the Palestinian enclave ended.

Hamas’s armed wing said Nov 23 an Israeli woman taken hostage during the October 2023 attack had been killed in northern Gaza, but Israel’s military said it could not “confirm or refute” the claim.