According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, 31 out of the 136 hostages who were not released by Hamas-led militants have died since more than 240 people were seized in an attack across Israeli border communities on Oct. 7. The forum stated that family members of those who died have been informed as the Israeli military gains confirmation. This came after the New York Times reported the number of deceased hostages as 32, citing a confidential military assessment.
An Israeli military spokesperson informed JewishPress.com that families are being updated with new information and added that the “vast majority” of the deceased hostages were killed the day they were taken. The Israeli military has not yet responded to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the reports.
More than 100 hostages were freed as part of a weeklong cease-fire deal in November. Israel states that 136 others remain in Gaza, including the bodies of those who died.
Relatives of hostages, along with their supporters, have been protesting in Israel, urging the government to intensify efforts to negotiate for the captives’ freedom. They fear that more deaths will occur as the conflict continues. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday that a deal is not imminent, mentioning that “Hamas has demands that we will not agree to.”
In other news:
– Iran is planning joint naval exercises with Russia and China within the next six weeks, according to Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani.
– In Pennsylvania, over 100 people were briefly detained for protesting state investments in Israel.
– The U.N.’s Palestinian relief agency expects its preliminary report into Israeli claims that a dozen of its employees took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack to be ready by early March. Several nations, including the U.S. and Britain, have suspended funding pending the probe.
– A report by the Washington Post cited an early military assessment, suggesting that a low-flying drone may have penetrated defenses at a Jordan base, resulting in an attack that killed three American soldiers.
– The latest Gaza cease-fire plan garnered a “generally positive” response from Hamas leaders, according to Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared few details but mentioned that a pathway to more lasting peace in the region is “coming ever more sharply into focus.”
– Houthi militants continued to disrupt shipping in the Middle East, with a British-owned cargo ship sustaining minor damage in an attack, and the U.S. destroying two Houthi drone boats packed with explosives.
Contributing: Michael Collins, The Associated Press
