Over 20 percent of the remaining hostages in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip are dead, according to an internal Israeli intelligence assessment, The New York Times (NYT) reported Tuesday.
The assessment, which was reviewed by The New York Times, claimed that at least 32 of the remaining 136 hostages that Hamas and its allies took into captivity on Oct. 7 are deceased. (RELATED: IDF Shows Off Hamas Oct. 7 Training Grounds And Arms Cache In Video)
Breaking News: More than a fifth of the remaining hostages held in Gaza are dead, according to an internal Israeli military report.https://t.co/74ZBSJHZUA
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 6, 2024
Four Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials told the outlet anonymously that the families of the 32 were notified. During Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of some of the hostages were discovered by the IDF. Three hostages were accidentally killed by the IDF back in Dec. in what was described by one official as a “tragic, tragic event.” The hostages were shirtless at the time and were waving a makeshift white flag.
Hamas released a video back in Jan. claiming that two more hostages were killed by the IDF. The chief IDF spokesman denied doing so. “Itai [one of the hostages named in the video] was not shot by our forces. This is a lie of Hamas. The building in which they [the hostages] were being held was not a target and was not targeted by our troops,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said. He stated that in “retrospect we know that we struck targets near where they were held,” but added that the IDF does not have a policy of targeting areas where they have reliable intelligence hostages are located.
Hamas took over 200 hostages on Oct. 7 and have released over 100 for a temporary cessation of hostilities and a prisoner swap that expired in Dec. Since that day of infamy, Israel has been in an active war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip with the declared military objective of obliterating the terrorist organization.