According to the latest Israeli assessments reported by the daily “Israel Hayom”, 51 Israeli hostages are still alive in the Gaza Strip. A figure which contrasts with the total number of people still detained by Hamas and confirms that a significant part of the captives did not survive.
If the Israeli authorities have officially confirmed the death of 37 hostages, whose remains are still in the hands of Hamas, the intelligence services estimate that at least 13 other captives would also have perished, even if their deaths have not yet been formally confirmed. announcement.
The discrepancy between confirmed and estimated deaths is explained by the strict requirements required to officially declare a person’s death in Israel, with medical and rabbinical authorities requiring irrefutable evidence that meets scientific and religious standards before they can pronounce a death sentence. death.
If this formal proof is lacking for certain cases, the Israeli services would have sufficient information to establish that several other hostages did not survive their captivity.
This new assessment comes as negotiations for the release of the hostages continue, under the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.
