The military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas has claimed that four of its leaders have been martyred since October 7. Al-Qassam Brigades said those killed included Ahmed Al-Ghandour, a member of the Military Council and commander of the Northern Brigade. “The Al-Qassam Brigades is mourning a group of its heroic leaders, namely Commander Ahmed Al-Ghandour, known as Abu Anas, a member of the Military Council, the commander of the Northern Brigade, and the leaders: Wael Rajab, Raafat Salman, and Ayman Siam,” the group said in a statement. However, it did not provide details about the dates of their deaths. The group also declared their "commitment to the freedom path".

The Israeli army had previously announced the deaths of Hamas leaders in airstrikes on Gaza during its military campaign. However, most Israeli strikes have resulted in heavy civilian casualties and significant infrastructure destruction in the region. A four-day pause in the hostilities, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, went into effect on Friday, temporarily halting Israel's onslaught on the Gaza Strip. In the first two days of the 'pause', Israel and Hamas exchanged 41 Israelis and foreigners for 78 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Under the agreement, hostages will be released in batches during the four days. Israel launched a massive military campaign in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. It has since martyred at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)