Israel believes more than one-third of Gaza hostages are dead

Hamas sent some 250 Israelis to the Gaza Strip after a surprise border incursion on October 7, 2023. During a brief ceasefire in November 2023, 105 hostages, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals, were freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

On June 4, Israeli officials, based on multiple sources, videos taken by civilians, images from surveillance cameras (CCTV) and forensic analysis... determined that of the 120 hostages still being held in Gaza, 43 have died. Previously, on June 3, Israel added 4 more cases to the list of hostage deaths.

Meanwhile, the Hamas movement claimed that Israeli bombardment in Gaza had killed several hostages. Israel did not rule out this possibility but also stressed that the bodies of some hostages showed signs of execution.

In another development, US President Joe Biden on May 31 announced Israel's new proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Israel's new ceasefire proposal includes 3 phases.

The first phase will last six weeks and will include a full and complete ceasefire, with Israeli forces withdrawing from all populated areas in Gaza. In addition, some Israeli hostages, including women, the elderly, and the wounded, will be released in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. President Biden added that during this phase, Palestinians will return to their homes in all areas of Gaza, while humanitarian assistance will be increased to 600 trucks per day carrying aid into Gaza.

In the second phase, Hamas and Israel will negotiate the terms of a permanent end to hostilities. President Biden has said the ceasefire will remain in place as long as negotiations continue. The third phase will include a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.

According to Mr. Biden, this proposal was forwarded by Qatar to Hamas. For its part, the Hamas movement affirmed on May 31 that it had a positive view of the proposal.