CAIRO, February 11. /TASS/. Two Israeli hostages have been killed and eight more have been wounded as a result of Israel’s strikes on the Gaza Strip in the past four days, Hamas said.

"[Izz ad-Din] al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’ armed wing - TASS) fighters confirm that in the past 96 hours, two hostages were killed and eight more were wounded as a result of Israel’s bombardments of Gaza," it said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel. "The condition of those wounded is worsening because it is impossible to offer them necessary treatment."

Hamas has placed "the entire responsibility for the lives of these wounded people on Israel in light of continuing aggression" against the Palestinian enclave. The names of those killed and wounded have not been disclosed.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 after militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 240 Israelis. Large-scale combat operations have continued in the Gaza Strip since then. The parties agreed upon a humanitarian pause in late November. During the week-long humanitarian pause, according to the Israeli authorities, 110 hostages held in Gaza since October 7 were released. However, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as many as 136 people are still held hostage.