Only 50 of the 116 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack in Israel may be alive. The Wall Street Journal writes this, citing US officials. “Of the approximately 250 hostages” taken that day, we read, “116 remain captive, including many people believed to be dead,” and mediators in the hostage talks and an American official say that “the number of hostages still alive could be of just 50″. An assessment, continues the newspaper, which is partly based on Israeli intelligence information and which would mean that 66 of the people still held hostage could be dead, 25 more than what Israel has publicly acknowledged.
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Of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 in southern Israel, the Times of Israel wrote in recent days, it is believed that 116 are still held in Gaza and that at least 41 of them are dead. During the seven days of truce last November, 105 civilians were freed, the newspaper recalled, adding that four hostages had already been freed before the start of the truce and that seven were rescued by the troops. The bodies of 19 hostages were returned to Israel, including those of three people killed by the military by mistake.
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Eight Americans remain hostage in Gaza, including three dead people according to Israel, writes the Wall Street Journal today, reporting ‘no comment’ from the Israeli prime minister’s office and the military, as well as from the US, from the director’s office of national intelligence. Estimates of the number of deceased hostages, the newspaper adds, continue to worsen due to the conditions of captivity, the injuries sustained during the October 7 attack and other causes.
