More than a fifth of the 140 Hamas hostages remaining in Gaza have died, and at least 20 more are feared to have died, Israeli military officials said.
An internal investigation conducted by the IDF increased the number of hostages from 132 to 136, and intelligence officers concluded that at least 32 people had been killed since the war began. Four Israeli military officials told The New York Times..
Officials said most of the hostages confirmed dead were believed to have been killed in the first terrorist attack on October 7, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis.
Military officials also noted that “unconfirmed information” suggests that at least 20 more hostages may have been killed on October 7 or while in captivity.
The families of the 32 hostages have been informed of the deaths of their loved ones, the report said.
The number of hostages increased from 132 to 136, including Israeli nationals Abela Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who disappeared in Gaza seven years ago, and Oron Shor, a fallen IDF soldier who was killed in Gaza, and Hadar Ghor. It remains unclear whether Dinh’s remains are included. 2014.
The latest estimates from Israel were announced as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to help advance Israeli-Hamas ceasefire negotiations aimed at freeing the remaining hostages.
In recent weeks, the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been pushing for a cease-fire agreement in Gaza that would offer a multi-week pause in Gaza to allow Hamas to safely release hostages in exchange for the freedom of Israeli Palestinian prisoners.
The outline of the agreement has been presented to Israeli and Hamas leaders, and details are still being worked out. Hamas leaders have also been convened in Egypt to discuss the terms of the deal, and Mr. Blinken will receive updates on Hamas’ response during his stay in Cairo.
Hamas has previously said it would not release the hostages until Israel frees all Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would not release thousands of prisoners in exchange for hostages.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also rejected proposals for a peaceful resolution to the war, vowing that the fighting in Gaza would not end until the terrorist group Hamas is destroyed.
However, according to the latest Israeli opinion polls, the prime minister’s position appears to be at odds with many Israelis.e Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute It turns out that a majority of the population wants their country to prioritize the release of hostages over the overthrow of Hamas.
A poll of more than 760 people released on Tuesday found that some 51% think the main goal of the war should be freeing the hostages in Gaza, while others say defeating Hamas is the priority. Only about one-third thought so.
