The spokesperson for the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said a number of Israeli captives have attempted suicide.

Abu Hamza said in a statement this is due to frustration over Israel’s neglect of their situation, and due to treatment by units in the brigades who are “depriving them of some of the privileges that were provided to them prior to the heinous Nuseirat crime committed by the criminal Nazi enemy army [Israel]”.

Last month Israeli forces killed more than 270 Palestinians in the Nuseirat refugee camp during an operation to free four Israeli captives. Some 700 others were injured.