Israeli sources indicate that 24 hostages in Gaza are officially considered to be alive, but that Israel has “grave concerns” over the lives of three of them.
The comments come after US President Donald Trump appeared to boast last night of inside information indicating that only 21 of the hostages being held captive in Gaza are still alive, fewer than the official Israeli figure of 24.
Trump’s comments sent shockwaves through the family members of the hostages, who demanded they be provided with any updates.
The assessment is believed to stem from the fact that Israel has some information about the status of a number of hostages, but not enough to confirm that they are no longer alive.
Ahead of January’s ceasefire, Israel provided Hamas with a list of 33 hostages it considered to still be alive. Ultimately, 25 of them returned home, and Hamas also returned eight bodies, including those of the Bibas family, about whom Israel had long expressed “grave concerns.”
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