Israeli hostages’ families should ask the Israeli military to stop intensified strikes in the final hours before a ceasefire takes effect as this “would be reason for killing their children,” a Palestinian militant spokesperson said on Saturday.
The spokesperson, Abu Hamza, is with the al Quds Brigades armed wing of the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza, which also holds Israeli hostages in addition to the enclave’s dominant militant movement Hamas.
A ceasefire in the Gaza war will begin Sunday morning at 0630 GMT, mediator Qatar said on Saturday after Israel’s cabinet voted to approve the truce and hostage-prisoner release deal.
Qatar and the United States, which mediated the deal along with Egypt, had announced the agreement on Wednesday.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since then.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Civil Defence rescue agency said at least five members of a family died when a strike hit the tent where they were staying in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
