Israeli officials say more than a third of Hamas hostages may have been killed, but some believe the number is higher

Israeli officials announced on Tuesday, June 4, that more than a third of the hostages who were abducted by Hamas terrorists are believed to be dead.

Published on: Jun 5, 2024, 08:32:43 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Israeli officials announced on Tuesday, June 4, that more than a third of the hostages who were abducted by Hamas terrorists are believed to be dead. As many as 120 people are being held by Hamas at present, and it is believed that at least 43 of them are dead. The Israeli government released the latest count, saying many of the hostages may have been executed after being kidnapped from Israel during the October 7 attack.

Israeli officials say more than a third of Hamas hostages are believed to have been killed, but some believe the number is higher (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File) (AP)

However, some officials said they are afraid the real number of deaths could be higher than that, according to the Jerusalem Post. Hamas snatched about 250 hostages from Israel on October 7. Some were freed during a ceasefire deal in November.

However, even after several rounds of negotiations, hopes for another exchange seem to have reached a dead-end. Hamas has maintained that the hostages were killed by Israel’s own attack on Gaza, but according to Israeli officials, it is clear that they were executed while being held captive.

Hamas hostages who were recently found dead, including Shani Louk’s partner

Four more hostages were reported dead on Monday, June 3, including 84-year-old Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Perry, both 80, and 51-year-old Nadav Popplewell. It is believed that they were all killed while being held captive in Gaza.

In May, Israel’s army recovered the bodies of three more hostages, identified as Hanan Yablonka, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez Radoux. Radoux was reportedly the partner of Shani Louk, whose body was also found in May and laid to rest in Israel.

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to bring all the hostages home and eliminate Hamas, little progress has been made. Netanyahu is now facing pressure to resign as president. The US has even threatened to scale back its support over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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