He blamed the incident on what he said were Israeli “massacres” of Palestinians.

The Israeli military said: “We will continue to examine and verify the credibility of the message and will update with any more information that we obtain.”

This is the first time that Hamas has said that its guards have killed hostages during the continuing war in Gaza. Previously, it has said that hostages have been killed by Israeli air strikes.

In the past, Israel has dismissed Hamas statements on the deaths of hostages as psychological warfare.

According to Israeli tallies, 251 people were kidnapped during the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October in which some 1,200 people in southern Israel were killed.

It is thought that 111 of the hostages abducted by Hamas remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 39 who the Israeli military says are dead.

Another two Israeli civilians who independently entered the Palestinian territory are also being held, as well as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers who were killed in the Gaza war in 2014.

At least 39,929 people have been killed in Gaza during the current conflict, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Hamas’s statement comes as talks aimed at ending the war and bringing home remaining hostages are due to resume in Cairo or Doha on Thursday.

Israel has said that it will send a delegation to meet mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Hamas has said that it does not plan to send negotiators, and has instead called on mediators to present a plan to implement what it agreed following earlier rounds of talks.