Israelis held hostage in Gaza - part 3

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Part 3.

I hope they come home soon and there's no need for a part 4.

I too remembered it was 6 months, half a year, unbelievable. It makes me so sad to think of the hostages who must feel so scared.

i cannot believe there is no resolution still. I despair in humanity sometimes 😢

Mixed reports on progress to a hostage deal. Some places I’ve seen appear to be pretty hopeful (even though they are generally not optimistic) others are saying no progress.

@EllaDisenchanted I have read similar conflicting things.

Recently posted information.

News I got tonight (I haven’t verified it)

Channel 12: Hamas has told the mediators that it does not have 40 hostages in the humanitarian category that are still alive. That is a category of women, children, the elderly, and the sick. The number that they say is alive, which is significantly lower, has not been made public.

I can only hope that the information is wrong but it is something we all fear.

Hoping for the best, expecting the worst. Their poor families.

@EllaDisenchanted I have just heard the same thing. I don't know what to say :(

Naama, Noa, Kfir, Ariel, Shiri, Hersh............

Each one is precious beyond measure. There are no words to convey the suffering of their families.

I want peace for Palestinians but I will never March unless I am also marching for the release of the hostages. It has always upset me that their situation is ignored on the marches.

Have just seen this online.

i can’t imagine the agony of families who are left in this torture of hoping there is hope

Seen on a local news group (quoting wall street journal)
"Hamas acknowledges it lacks sufficient living Israeli captives for a deal, with intelligence indicating most hostages are deceased. The group delays negotiations fearing exposure of its deceit about captive status. WSJ"
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-may-not-have-enough-living-hostages-for-cease-fire-deal-61606c66

Oh no, @EllaDisenchanted ... I really hope that's wrong...

I don't have a WSJ subscription - are they saying they can't or won't even return people's bodies for burial?

I think it is an open article.

They don't return hostage bodies for burial, except through negotiation; they have been holding the bodies of soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul for years. They have also held Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al Sayed for years (civilians who crossed into Gaza). Both suffer from mental illness.

Hamas have divided the hostages into categories and are demanding different things for each group. They are saying they don't know if they have enough living hostages in the first group, and they can't confirm how many remain alive. If hostages from other 'categories' are released with the others, they are upping their demands.

"U.S. and Israeli officials believe that some of the remaining hostages are being held by Hamas and used as human shields around the group’s leadership, which Israeli officials believe is hiding in tunnels in southern Gaza. Some U.S. estimates indicate that most of the hostages are already dead, U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence said. "

Thanks @EllaDisenchanted - it's truly horrible. Truly.

It was also reported in the times. That report is extremely concerning but I'm hoping its not true as it hasn't been confirmed by any Israeli officials.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-us-officials-fear-most-of-the-hostages-held-by-hamas-could-be-dead/

Truly awful if correct

Guardian also reporting with CNN and NYT sources which do seem to include Israeli information too

''It has been reported by US media that Hamas does not have 40 living hostages who fit the criteria needed for an exchange under a proposed ceasefire deal. In an article published on Wednesday, The New York Times cites a senior Israeli official and a senior Hamas official as the sources. CNN also reported the claims, saying sources had told the news outlet that Hamas had informed international mediators it does not have the required number of living hostages who fit the criteria, including women, sick and elderly men. It also says that Israel is now pushing for Hamas to instead include younger male hostages, as well as soldiers in an initial release.

I hope this is true...

I hope you're right, @stomachamelon and that this is just another cruel negotiating tactic. To put innocent families through such heartbreak is extremely cruel, but if it is lies then at least there might be a chance to bring people home.

I hope this is ok to post here: https://nationonpause.org/

It's an initiative for Jews to take on something small on Shabbat and dedicate it in the merit of a hostage, whether you usually keep the Shabbat or not. Each week is a one-off commitment.

This is CNN’s latest news about the hostages:

• “Hamas on hostages: Hamas has said a ceasefire with Israel is essential to collect data on hostages held in Gaza by different groups. Hamas had previously told negotiators it is currently unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages that meet the criteria for a proposed deal, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known.

This is from their ‘Data on hostages’ link;

A member of Hamas' political bureau said* *a prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations.
"Part of negotiations is to reach a ceasefire agreement to have enough time and safety to collect final and more precise data" on the hostages held in Gaza Basem Naim said in a statement on Thursday.

"Because they (hostages) are in different palaces, (being held) by different groups, some of them are under the rubble killed with our own people, and we negotiate to get heavy equipment for this purpose," he added.

Naim's statement was in response to questions from media outlets about whether Hamas has rejected the latest proposal, made in Cairo over the weekend, because it cannot release 40 hostages in the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal.

According to an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, Hamas told negotiators it was currently unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages meeting the criteria required for a deal, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known.

• CNN's record of the conditions of the hostages also suggests there are fewer than 40 living hostages who meet the proposed criteria.

www.instagram.com/reel/C5qtPrvNc32/?igsh=MXh6NWk4NDV0eGg0OQ==

Praying x

🙏