The truce between Israel and Hamas that has allowed the release of nearly 100 hostages, including 10 Israelis and four Thais who left Gaza on Wednesday, and more than 180 Palestinian prisoners, will end tonight unless negotiators manage to schedule another day of ceasefire.
Both Israel and Hamas have expressed support for the idea of prolonging the truce and continuing exchanges of detainees. But recent Hamas announcements about the deaths of at least three hostages and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about continuing the campaign to eliminate the Palestinian militant group call into question the negotiations.
Fears grew Wednesday over the fate of younger hostages in the Gaza Strip after Hamas reported that Kfir Bibas, a 10-month-old baby, had died along with his brother and mother.
Young Ron Krivoi reunites with his parents at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.Associated Press
The Israeli military said it was assessing the information, while family members said they were "waiting for news to confirm or deny" what was reported about their loved ones, who have become the faces of the hostage crisis.
"During the Hamas massacre on October 7, the Bibas family, including 10-month-old baby Kfir Bibas, his 4-year-old brother Ariel Bibas, and their mother, Shiri Bibas, were kidnapped and taken to Gaza," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
"The barbarism and cruelty of Hamas was on display to the world. IDF representatives spoke with the Bibas family after the recent report and we are with them at this difficult time. The IDF is evaluating the veracity of the information."
[Israel and Hamas negotiate to extend truce that would end in a few hours]
The announcement followed a statement from Hamas' military wing, which earlier in the day said the three hostages had been killed in Gaza as a result of Israeli bombardment.
Neither Noticias Telemundo nor our sister network NBC News have been able to verify the fact. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields.
"Our family is aware of Hamas' latest announcement. Hoping that the news will be confirmed or, hopefully, refuted soon by military personnel," the Bibas family said in a statement released by the Forum of Missing or Hostage Families.
He added: "We thank the people of Israel for the warm support but ask that our privacy be maintained at this complex time."
Footage of Shiri Bibas being taken hostage at Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border while hugging her two young children has become one of the most perishable images of the terror attack, and the conditions of the hostages inside Gaza.
Kfir is supposed to be the youngest hostage.
Yarden, Shiri Bibas' husband, was kidnapped along with the mother and children, but no information is available on his whereabouts.
On Tuesday, the prime minister's office said Hamas had said it did not have the mother and two children, and had handed them over to another group. The presence of other armed groups inside Gaza who are also allegedly holding hostages adds complexity to the negotiations.
The Bibas family announcement came as talks continue in Qatar to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the aim of allowing the release of more Palestinian hostages and prisoners.
Protests in the West Bank
In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian children, ages 8 and 15, during an operation in the town of Jenin, Palestinian health officials said. Security videos showed a group of children on the street starting to run, except for one, who falls to the ground bleeding.
The Israeli military said its troops fired at people who threw explosives at the uniformed officers, but specified whether they were referring to the children, who do not appear to be throwing anything.
The Israeli military also said its troops killed two Islamic jihadist militants during the operation.
Weeks of heavy bombardment and a ground invasion have demolished large areas of Gaza and claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians. But the move appears to have had little effect on Hamas's rule, as evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, impose a ceasefire among other armed groups and orchestrate the release of hostages. Hamas leaders, including Yehya Sinwar, may have moved south of the strip.
Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are now concentrated in the southern region. About three-quarters of them were forced to leave their homes. The ceasefire has led them to a desperate race for supplies to feed their families, while more aid is pouring into the area, although it is still insufficient.
A ground invasion of the southern Gaza Strip is likely to bring further loss of Palestinian life and destruction, something Israel's main ally, the United States, might not be willing to endure.
The Biden administration has told Israel that if it launches an operation in the south, it must do so in a more precise manner.
The war began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians. The militants kidnapped around 240 people, who were taken to Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, elderly people and Thai agricultural workers.
Israel's bombing campaign and ground invasion of Gaza has left more than 13,300 Palestinians dead, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, which makes no distinction between civilians and fighters.
Israel says 77 soldiers have been killed in the offensive and says thousands of militants have been eliminated, but has presented no evidence.
Israel's Hostage Dilemma
The hostage situation and the effect of the October 7 attack have galvanized support in Israel for the war. However, Netanyahu is also under pressure to secure the release of the hostages and may find it difficult to restart the offensive if there is a possibility that more people will be released.
Ahead of Wednesday's release of the hostages, Israel said 160 people were still being held in Gaza: 126 men and 35 women. Four of them under 18 years old, and 10 over 75 years old. Both sides have been releasing women and children during the exchanges.
An Israeli official involved in the hostage negotiations said efforts were focused on extensions of the two-day ceasefire to secure the release of the remaining women and children held by Hamas.
Until that happens, an extension of the ceasefire to secure the release of the soldiers will not be considered, he said. He estimated that there are "several dozen" soldiers being held by Hamas, most of them men.
A total of 73 Israelis, including dual nationals, have been released during the six-day ceasefire. Most of them seem to be physically fine but emotionally affected. Another 24 hostages – 23 Thais and one Filipino – were also released.
Prior to the ceasefire, Hamas released four hostages and the Israeli army released one. Two were found dead in Gaza.
So far, most of the 180 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons have been teenagers accused of throwing stones and bombs during clashes with Israeli forces. Several women were convicted in Israeli courts for attempted attacks on soldiers.
NBC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report