A member of Hamas’s political leadership, Bassem Naim, said that the movement “does not know who is alive and who is dead” of the hostages it has been holding since its attack on southern Israel on October 7, in a statement to Agence France-Presse.
From Cairo, Naeem explained: “We do not know exactly who is alive and who is dead, whether they were killed by bombing or by famine,” adding: “There are prisoners held by multiple groups and in multiple places.”
Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas after its attack, which killed more than 1,160 people, according to an Agence France-Presse count based on official figures.
Also, 250 people were taken hostage, 130 of whom are still in captivity, according to Israel, which estimates that 31 of them were killed in the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched an intense bombing campaign on Gaza in response to the attack, followed by ground military operations on October 27, which have so far resulted in the deaths of 30,534 people, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.
The hostage issue is at the heart of negotiations currently taking place in Cairo that aim to reach a calm in Gaza, about 5 months after the start of the conflict.
The mediating countries, namely Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, are seeking to reach an agreement before the month of Ramadan, which falls on March 10 or 11.
Israeli media report that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government insists that Hamas submit a list of the names of the 130 hostages still being held in Gaza, and it did not send a delegation to Cairo, unlike Hamas, because the movement did not submit this list.
For its part, Hamas insists on a complete ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces before any agreement on the release of prisoners.
Naeem said, “The issue related to the details of the prisoners was not mentioned in any papers or proposals circulated during the negotiation process.”
He stressed the need for a “ceasefire” to meet “the request regarding names, numbers, and their status, alive or dead,” in reference to the hostages.
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