Hostages forum says IDF confirmed 31 abductees in Gaza are dead, not 32 as NYT reported

In the wake of today’s New York Times article that Israeli intelligence assesses that at least 32 hostages of the 136 held in Gaza are dead, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum says that they were told by the IDF ahead of the article’s publication that 31 of the hostages have died.

“According to the official data we have, there are 31 victims,” the Forum says in a statement. “Before the article was released, an official message was given to all the families of the abductees by the liaison officers that there is no change in the situation assessment.”

The military has previously said it had confirmed the deaths of 29 of the remaining 132 hostages taken on October 7, during the shock Hamas assault in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 253 hostage.

Hamas freed 105 hostages in late November in a temporary truce deal. In addition to the 132 remaining hostages, Hamas is also holding onto four more: the bodies of two fallen IDF soldiers since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Of the 136 remaining hostages, at least 32 are dead and most were killed during the October 7 onslaught, NYT reported earlier. It is unclear if the tally of dead hostages includes the two soldiers killed in 2014, but it appears likely.

The NYT report added that the IDF was looking into unconfirmed intelligence that 20 more hostages may have been killed.