Israel government data revealed on Tuesday that over one-third of the remaining Gaza hostages have died, as the US pushed to accelerate their recovery under a proposal to end the war with Hamas.
During the October 7 cross-border spree that ignited the war, around 250 Palestinians were forced into the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led Palestinian gunmen.
According to the authorities, 120 people are still in custody, with 43 pronounced dead in absentia by Israeli officials. Some officials have privately stated that the number of deceased may be higher.
Hamas, which vows to execute captives in reprisal for Israeli air strikes at the start of the war, has since claimed that such attacks killed hostages. Israel has not ruled it out in all cases, although some recovered hostage remains bore signs of execution.
Four additional hostages were killed on Monday, adding to Israel’s death toll.
United States President Joe Biden announced on Friday an Israeli proposal to end the war, in which some captives would be released during a temporary truce.
However, mediated efforts to reach that deal have stalled since Israel insists on eventually continuing the war to destroy Hamas, while the Palestinian Islamist group seeks a guaranteed end to the war and withdrawal of all invasion forces.
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