IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 203 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip.
He says the number is not final, as the IDF is constantly investigating new information on Israelis who have been missing since the October 7 onslaught.
He says that in some of the cases, the families were notified that the military suspects with high confidence that they are being held by Hamas.
But in other cases, he says the military has moderate-to-low confidence that they are hostages.
Hagari says the IDF has also ruled out some cases, and updated the families that their loved ones are not being held hostage.
The military has been scanning the Gaza border area for bodies of missing Israelis, locating some, and many bodies are still waiting to be identified.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 19, 2023
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