Three senior Hamas military commanders have been killed in Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip, the Islamist militant group said.
Hamas named the men as Mohammed Abu Shammala, Raed al-Attar and Mohammed Barhoum and said they were killed in a bombing of a house in the southern town of Rafah.
Hamas has "admitted" the group kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers whose deaths sparked the current Gaza conflict.
Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas official from the West Bank who lives in exile in Turkey, appeared to confirm the Islamist group were behind the abduction at a press conference in Istanbul.
He told reporters: "There was much speculation about this operation, some said it was a conspiracy.
"The popular will was exercised throughout our occupied land, and culminated in the heroic operation by the Qassam Brigades in imprisoning the three settlers in Hebron," he said, referring to Hamas' armed wing.
Until now Hamas officials have refused to confirm or deny any involvement in the killings of Gilad Shaar and Naftali Fraenkel, both 16, and 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach in June.
Palestinian boy Mohammed Abu Khudair, 16, is said to have been murdered "in revenge."
There have been two days of quiet in Gaza. No rockets or missiles, no more destroyed houses, no more ambulance sirens screaming.
A three-year-old girl has been rescued from Gaza and brought to London for life-saving heart surgery.
A small team of NHS doctors and surgeons is travel to Gaza to set up facilities and establish how best to use specialists and equipment.