The chaos of the October 7 assault has made it troublesome to establish the precise variety of hostages. The state of affairs of many stays unclear because the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) proceed their operations in Gaza. Hamas has claimed that a number of hostages have been killed in IDF strikes. Previous to the assault, Hamas already held some Israeli hostages, although their present standing is unsure.
An IDF spokesperson knowledgeable Newsweek that there are nonetheless 134 hostages, together with 11 overseas nationals, with 123 having been launched. Hostages have been freed each by means of humanitarian actions and Israeli army operations, in addition to throughout a seven-day ceasefire and prisoner swap in November.
The variety of hostages nonetheless held is topic to vary, with estimates various. In February, The New York Occasions reported 136 captives remained in Gaza, with not less than 30 probably deceased. Final month, The Wall Road Journal indicated that 130 hostages stay, with not less than 34 believed to have died.
The extraordinary IDF bombardment of Gaza, geared toward concentrating on militants and their infrastructure, together with tunnels used to carry hostages, poses a threat to the captives’ security. Hamas attributes a number of hostage deaths to Israeli airstrikes since October 7, and in December, three had been killed by IDF hearth in Gaza.
Hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been fraught, with the militant group demanding a full ceasefire, IDF withdrawal, the discharge of Palestinian prisoners, and the return of displaced Gazans for the discharge of all remaining hostages.
This situation has sparked widespread protests in Israel in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s dealing with of the state of affairs. Netanyahu, going through criticism, asserted his dedication to returning all hostages, stating, “Whoever says that I’m not doing every little thing to return our hostages is mistaken and is deceptive others…I’m dedicated to returning all of our hostages, men and women, civilians and troopers, the dwelling and the victims. I can’t depart even one behind.”