Netanyahu says he still believes there are 20 hostages alive in Gaza, out of 48 total

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes that there are still 20 living hostages held in Gaza, insisting that Israel is committed to releasing both the living and the dead, speaking in an interview with Fox News.

Asked if he believes 20 of the 48 hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups are still alive, the premier replies: “Yes, I do.”

“We’re committed to get them out, every last one of them, including the deceased hostages,” he adds, a day before his meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss Washington’s Gaza ceasefire proposal, which would see all hostages released in the first 48 hours.

“Every nation now in the world, has to say one thing to Hamas. You know, release the hostages, all of them, and lay down your arms. And if you do that, the war can come to an end immediately,” Netanyahu says.

Earlier this month, Trump raised concern by remarking that “there could be a couple of dead in recent days” among the 20 hostages Israel has said it believes are alive.

Trump has repeatedly suggested publicly that fewer hostages are still living than Israel’s official figure, sparking alarm among hostage families who say they have not been updated on such developments.

The premier’s comments also come after Hamas said earlier today it had lost contact with two hostages — whose families requested they not be named — and called on Israel to stop aerial operations in particular areas of Gaza City where the terror group said the captives were being held.

In addition to the 20 hostages believed to be alive and the 26 confirmed dead by the military, there are two about whom Israel has expressed “graved concern.”