The Islamic Jihad terror group has announced that one of the hostages it had promised to free has died of complications from illness.

The terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an ally of Hamas in Gaza, announced this Tuesday. Death of Hannah KatzineA 77-year-old woman abducted on October 7 from the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel.

Abu Hamza, a spokesman for the military branch of Islamic Jihad (Al Quds Brigades), recalled that two weeks ago the captors expressed a desire to release Katzeer – as well as 13-year-old minor Yigal Yaco – on humanitarian grounds. In this sense, He asserted that Israel’s “delay” in reaching the agreement led to the hostage’s death.

“We disclaim all responsibility for any hostages we have “In light of the continuous and barbaric bombing of every centimeter of the Gaza Strip,” Abu Hamza said in a brief statement collected by the network. Al Jazeera.

The announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that “there are stages to war” and that the release of the hostages would not mark the end of the Israeli military campaign to destroy Palestinian militant structures in Gaza. Undressing.

On November 9, Al Quds forces released a seven-minute video in which Katzeer and Yaqo called for their release. It was the first time the group had offered to free captives since the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza began, and the first to release pictures of the hostages showing them alive.

Except for Hamas, Islamic Jihad initially said it had 30 of the roughly 240 prisoners. Held in Gaza during the October 7 offensive.

In statements in the video, both hostages, whose whereabouts or health conditions were not specified, appeared to be under stress and pressure, demanding their release from the scene. accused

After the images circulated, Israeli army spokesman Richard Hecht dismissed the video “The worst kind of psychological terrorism.”

Since the war began a month ago, Hamas has freed four captive women — two American citizens and two elderly Israeli women — after mediation by Egypt and Qatar, citing humanitarian reasons.