Hamas claims three Israeli hostages were killed in IDF bombardment of Gaza before truce

Hamas today claimed three Israeli hostages were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza before the truce was announced.

It comes after Hamas said they are willing to extend a truce for four more days which would give them time to locate and free more Israeli hostages held by other terror groups.

A current truce is scheduled to expire early on Thursday after a six-day pause in the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, which was sparked by the terrorists massacring 1,200 Israelis on October 7.

So far 89 captives have been released and another ten are due to be freed on Wednesday night ahead of end of the temporary truce at 7am tomorrow. 

Hamas terrorists still hold at least eight children as hostages in Gaza as the ceasefire enters its final day, as Qatari mediators said they were working for a 'sustainable ceasefire'. 

Hamas today 'informed the mediators that it is willing to extend the truce for four days', a source close to the terror group said after 12 more captives were freed overnight. 

If Israel agrees to this, Hamas 'would be able to release Israeli prisoners that it, other resistance movements and other parties hold during this period, according to the terms of the truce,' the source added. 

Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told a Doha news conference on Tuesday that negotiators were seeking 'a sustainable truce that will lead to further negotiations and eventually to an end... to this war.' 

Families of Israeli hostages were informed on Wednesday of the names of those due to be released later in the day, Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported, the final group to be freed under the truce unless negotiators succeed in extending it.

Among the children still held hostage by Hamas is 10-month-old baby Kfir Bibas and his brother Ariel. They were snatched by the terrorists from their home during their October 7 attack along with their parents Yarden and Shiri. 

Among the other children being held is Gali Tarshansky, 13, from Kibbutz Bari. Gali had time to tell her family that terrorists had entered the house and were sawing the door of the police station.

She managed to jump out of the window and for three weeks she was declared missing until the family received a message that she had been kidnapped.

Tragically her brother Lior, 15, was murdered in the attack.

Mother Reuma said: 'I can only imagine the horror my daughter is going through.'

Taken from the same kibbutz was Amit Shani, 16, as he slept with his mother. In a cruel twist he had been due for release earlier this week but was kept hostage by the terrorists. 

Some of the hostages have been freed after a harrowing 54 days in captivity. Last night, a new group of 12 Israeli and foreign hostages was freed from Gaza, with 30 Palestinians released by Israel. 

The Israelis in the group were named as 36-year-old Rimon Kirsht, whose husband remains a hostage, Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and her daughter Mia, 17, who was filmed clutching her pet dog Bella as she was flanked by Hamas fighters. 

The group also includes Mia's aunt Clara Merman, 63, Argentina-born Ofelia Roitman, 77, Ditza Herman, 84, Tamar Metzger, 78, Merav Tal, 53, Philippines-born Noralin Babdilla, 60, and Ada Sagi, 75, whose British son Noam has been campaigning in Israel and London for her release.

The fifth group of hostages is also said to include two foreign nationals, who Israel says are from Thailand but have not yet been named, bringing the number of hostages freed overnight to 12. 

Pictures show the captives being escorted by balaclava-clad Hamas terrorists inside Gaza as they prepared to hand them over to the Red Cross and Israel, with crowds gathered around filming and jeering.

Israel in return released 30 Palestinian prisoners from detention centres in the West Bank and Jerusalem as per the terms of the agreement. 

Now, officials are working to extend the ceasefire, with mediator Qatar signalling it was hoping for a more durable arrangement.

'Our main focus right now, and our hope, is to reach a sustainable truce that will lead to further negotiations and eventually to an end... to this war,' foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told a Doha news conference.

'However, we are working with what we have. And what we have right now is the provision to the agreement that allows us to extend days as long as Hamas is able to guarantee the release of at least 10 hostages.'