In a briefing to journalists at the White House, the American president, Donald Trump mentioned, as in the past, that he has information that three hostages considered alive so far have recently been killed. “I was told that there are 59 hostages, but only 24 of them are alive. Now I correct it, I say that there are 21, because from today there are 21, three are dead. It is a terrible situation. We are trying to bring out the hostages. We have brought out a lot. There are 21 alive and many other dead,” he said.
In response to Trump’s words, the Israeli coordinator for hostages and missing, Gal Hirsch, published a message contradicting these words on social networks. “Hamas holds 59 hostages, 24 on the list of living, 35 on the list of dead whose death was officially confirmed,” he wrote. Hirsch also assured that “all families of the hostages are always kept informed of the information we have concerning their loved ones”.
The hostage family forum has also reacted to Trump’s words, reiterating its request to favor the return of hostages rather than the resumption of intense fights in Gaza. “The number of living hostages known to families, which has been communicated to them by official sources, is 24. We are asking the Israeli government once again that if there are new information that has been hidden from transmitting it immediately,” the hostages of the hostages reacted. “The forum again calls on the Prime Minister (Netanyahu) to stop war until the last hostage’s return. It is the most urgent and important national mission.”
-The number of living hostages communicated by Donald Trump could correspond to the remarks made by Benjamin Netanyahu during the Yom Haatsmaout evening (independence day) last week, according to which “there are up to 24 living hostages in the Gaza Strip”. His wife Sara, seated by her side, had corrected by saying “less”, before Netanyahu hastened to specify: “I said up to 24 living hostages”.
Following the Israeli Prime Minister’s declaration, the hostage families contacted the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, responsible for negotiations, and demanded to receive all the information available to the situation on the situation of their loved ones. “It is serious that families are forced to be exposed to sensitive, even shocking information, concerning the state of their relatives in a fortuitous manner and in a way that is neither sensitive nor respectful”. This occurs in particular when the government announces that it will intensify the fights in the Gaza Strip next week.
Donald Trump also said that he would not go to Israel next week during his visit to the Middle East, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. These remarks were made in response to an Israeli request addressed to the White House to add Jerusalem to the list of places he will visit.
