HOW MANY HOSTAGES ARE STILL HELD BY HAMAS?

The question has been asked, above all, by the families of Hamas prisoners, as well as analysts and people who count the dead and those who have been released, either by the radical group or by Israeli forces.

To this day, Israel believes there are “dozens of hostages” still alive. Although the figure that would be closest to reality would be less than a hundred. Even the political leadership of Hamas claims that it does not know the exact number.

The hostages are not all in the same place but distributed throughout Gaza, and despite the importance of the intelligence services of Israel and the United States, they continue not to be located.

The peace plan carried out by the American president, Joe Biden, has raised hopes that the prisoners would be released in an exchange of Palestinians detained within a humanitarian pause. It has already been done once but it could not be repeated even if the Red Cross has pleaded with both sides to make a concession and allow the hostages to return to their families.

On the other hand, Hamas has 41 deceased hostages who are in morgues and whose bodies have not been delivered to Israel.

The situation is this: Hamas accepts Biden's plan but asks for some changes. Srael also accepts this but refuses to allow Ysahal forces to withdraw from Gaza, even from part of the territory.

And meanwhile, Qatar and Egypt continue to make efforts to ensure that their mediation work between the two parties brings some results.

Israel and Hamas would have to admit that this war cannot be an endless war and concessions must be made to end it. The Hebrew Prime Minister, Netanyahu, has dissolved the national unity government after the centrist, Gantz, has withdrawn from it.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to bomb Gaza and kill Palestinian civilians, although Tsahal claims that he is pausing the attacks, something that Netanyahu has criticized, while reaffirming that he remains in favor of continuing the war.

Hamas has described its requested changes to the deal as “not significant” and confirmed its position is consistent with the foundational principles of the American proposal.