Only half of 101 Israeli hostages held in Gaza Strip survive

According to Israel's latest intelligence assessment, Hamas is estimated to still be holding 51 hostages alive. Officials believe the remaining hostages are dead, although many of the deaths have not been officially confirmed.

In a closed-door meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that about half of the hostages were still alive, the first time the figure had been disclosed and has become a working basis for Israel's crisis management agencies.

The assessment is based on extensive intelligence gathered since October 7, 2023, combining publicly available sources with classified operational data. The analysis indicates that 50 Israeli hostages are believed to have been killed, although officials have only confirmed the deaths of 37 hostages held by Hamas.

While conclusive evidence is lacking in some cases, intelligence suggests that more hostages did not survive. Sources familiar with the situation told Israel Hayom that officials have kept families fully informed, sharing detailed assessments of their loved ones’ conditions. While some families have accepted the government’s conclusions about the deaths, others are still waiting for definitive evidence.

Monitoring the status of hostages serves many important purposes beyond negotiations. This intelligence helps commanders plan operations to prevent unintended casualties—whether from IDF airstrikes or Hamas.

In late October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi proposed a two-day ceasefire to secure the release of four Israeli hostages in exchange for several Palestinians held by Israel.

Doha-sponsored talks on a hostage-for-ceasefire deal have been deadlocked for months. After the Israeli military assassinated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October, many in Israel saw this as an opportunity to negotiate a deal to return the remaining hostages from Gaza.

For its part, Israel remains committed to the return of all hostages, dead or alive. While recent negotiating frameworks have prioritized the release of living captives before returning remains, the dwindling number of survivors and the continued threats to their lives have prompted security officials to push harder for an immediate settlement. But so far, these efforts have run into numerous obstacles.