Psychological warfare: Hamas announces the death of a mother and her two children captured on Oct. 7

The Hamas terrorist group published a statement Wednesday announcing that members of the Bibas family, who were captured on Oct. 7 and being held hostage in Gaza, have died.

The Israel Defense Forces notified the family of the statement and say they are investigating these "cruel claims."

Concerns regarding the condition of Shira, the mother, and her 4-year-old and 10-month-old children, Ariel and Kfir, arise as Hamas has released all other minors as of Wednesday. "The terrorist organization Hamas continues to act in a cruel and inhuman manner," an IDF spokesperson told The Times of Israel, adding that they are investigating the validity of the information published by Hamas.

According to the Israeli military, the Bibas family was transferred by Hamas to another terrorist subgroup in Gaza. The IDF spokesperson reminded that Hamas bears full responsibility for the safety and well-being of the hostages it captured in its attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

The Bibas family issued a statement reported by Israeli media. "We are waiting for the information to be confirmed and, hopefully, refuted by military officials," the family said. "We thank the people of Israel for their warm support, but kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time."