Israel estimates: 51 of the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas are alive

November 3, 2024   

According to estimates in Israel, the Hamas terrorist organization is currently holding 51 Israeli hostages alive. The remaining Israeli hostages are not among the living, although they have not all been officially declared dead. According to a report this morning (Sunday) in Israel Hayom, about two months ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a review before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee that half of the hostages are alive. The precise figure on which Netanyahu based his statement was formulated based on information accumulated through various channels since October 7, some of it public and some intelligence and operational. This means that in Israel, it is believed that 50 of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza are not among the living, although so far only 37 hostages whose bodies are being held by Hamas have been officially declared dead. It was also reported that the gap is explained in Israel by the fact that determining death requires absolute evidence, on the basis of which medical and rabbinical officials can declare a person dead. Such evidence does not exist at the scientific-halachic level required for a formal declaration of death, but it appears that Israel has enough information to assess that additional abductees are also dead. Sources familiar with the matter said in response to a question from Israel Hayom that the families of the abductees are aware of all the information and are familiar with the individual assessments regarding the fate of their loved ones. Families of abductees whose deaths have not been officially determined, but who are believed to be dead, have received an explanation of the basis for the assessments. According to the report in Israel Hayom, some families accepted the assessments, but there are families who rejected them and preferred to wait for definitive evidence.