US ‘fears most of Hamas hostages may be DEAD’: Terror group may not have ‘enough’ of 40 prisoners needed in ceasefire talks, disturbing new reports say
The US fears that Hamas may not have enough hostages alive to secure a deal leading to a ceasefire in Gaza, reports suggest.
Israel has demanded the return of at least 40 prisoners should there be a lull in the fighting.
The Israel Defense Forces say 133 hostages remain in Gaza as the war continues. But new reports say most of those taken in the October 7 terror attack may already be dead.
International negotiators have been engaged in intense negotiations to reach an agreement leading to a six-week ceasefire.
US fears Hamas may not have enough hostages alive to secure deal leading to Gaza ceasefire, reports suggest
New reports say most of those taken in the October 7 terror attack may already be dead
Rachel Goldberg, center, mother of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, along with other hostage families in Gaza, speak to reporters outside the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. They met with VP Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
But the disturbing latest reports have set off more alarm bells and could derail future negotiations.
Israel Defense Forces fear that there may be twice as many dead hostages as the 34 believed to have died in captivity. The Wall Street Journal reported.
Families now face the prospect of never seeing their loved ones again as the US desperately tries to strike a deal and civilian casualties pile up in Gaza.
Israel has rejected claims that it has not made the safe return of hostages a priority as it continued its strikes and counteroffensives.
Hostages who have been released in the six months since the war began have shared their harrowing experiences.
They include being raped, beaten and having operations performed by their captors.
Their families have fought furiously for their freedom and were at the White House this week to petition Kamala Harris.
Harris met on Tuesday with family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, who said they were not interested in expressions of gradual results.
‘We don’t want more progress. We want results,’ said Rachel Goldberg, mother of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
Like other family members of hostages taken in the brazen attack on October 7, Goldberg wore a piece of tape with the number 186, indicating the number of days in captivity.
Israel has demanded the return of at least 40 prisoners should there be a lull in the fighting.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen appealed to all sides to reach an agreement
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, appealed to all sides to reach an agreement that ‘the horror – the horror – that civilians in Gaza have faced that we have experienced in the last six months , stop.’
“There is hope for people on both sides of the border – only after the hostages come home,” he said.
‘We are now waiting in the world waiting for Hamas to come to yes … And we will all soon see if Hamas cares enough about its own people, its own people, to say nothing of our loved ones to move towards de-escalation to return the light to everyone in and around Gaza,” he said.
Goldberg spoke about the eight Americans held in Gaza, as well as people “we don’t hear about” – including eight Muslim Arabs, seven Thai Buddhists and two black African Christians.
Earlier this week at the White House, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tried to pressure Hamas to accept a deal negotiated in Cairo that would include a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages.
“You have a party that holds innocent people that it took hostage a long time ago, unfortunately doesn’t get much attention in the commentary,” he said.