Israel PM 'uncertain' over condition of three Gaza hostages

Israel's premier curate has said determination is "uncertainty" astir the information of 3 of 24 hostages antecedently believed to beryllium live successful Hamas captivity successful Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu said helium knew "with certainty" that 21 hostages were live but the presumption of "three more" was unclear.

His comments came aft US President Donald Trump said 24 hostages were live a week agone but the fig was present 21. He made the comments portion speaking astatine an lawsuit astatine the White House connected Tuesday and did not mention a root oregon supply further details.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum had demanded information.

The forum besides urged Netanyahu to halt his plans to grow Israel's violative successful Gaza and to alternatively hold a woody with Hamas to instrumentality its remaining 59 surviving and dormant hostages.

A spokesperson called connected the premier curate "to halt the warfare until the instrumentality of the past abductee", adding: "This is the astir urgent and important nationalist task."

Speaking successful a video connected Wednesday pursuing Trump's remarks, Netanyahu said: "We cognize with certainty that 21 hostages are alive. There are 3 much regarding whom there's uncertainty astir whether they are alive."

Last week, Netanyahu said rescuing hostages was a "very important goal" of the war, but that "the ultimate extremity is to execute triumph implicit our enemies".

Israel's main subject spokesperson Brig-Gen Effie Defrin appeared to contradict the premier curate connected Monday erstwhile helium stated: "The nonsubjective of the cognition is the instrumentality of our hostages, the dismantling and decisive decision of the Hamas regime."

Despite that statement, Israel's Haaretz paper reports that the military's main of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, presented operational orders to commanders this week that enactment "returning the hostages" bottommost of a six-point list, with "defeating Hamas" astatine the top.

Israeli officials person said the plans for the expanded violative see seizing each of the territory indefinitely, forcibly displacing Palestinians to the south, and taking implicit assistance organisation with backstage companies contempt protests from the UN and its humanitarian partners.

About 1,200 radical were killed and 251 others were taken hostage during the Hamas-led attacks connected confederate Israel connected 7 October 2023, which triggered the Gaza war.

Another 4 people, 2 of them dead, were already being held captive successful Gaza earlier the conflict.

So far, Israel has secured the instrumentality of 196 hostages, 147 of them alive, mostly done 2 impermanent ceasefire deals with Hamas.

At slightest 52,653 radical person been killed successful Gaza during the war, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.

More than 2,500 person died since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire connected 18 March and resumed its offensive, saying it wanted to enactment unit connected Hamas to merchandise hostages.

Israel has besides blocked each deliveries of humanitarian assistance and different supplies for 9 weeks, which the UN says has caused terrible shortages of food, medicine and fuel.