The report comes amid talks on a truce agreement, with some Hamas sources indicating in recent days that they are unable to trace the 40 live hostages Israel is seeking in the negotiations. There are believed to be 129 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 remaining in Gaza.
The IDF confirmed the deaths of 34 of these but, writes the WSJ, "Israeli and American officials privately estimate that the number of deaths could be much higher" The number of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza is believed to have risen to 129 since October 7. The number is thought to be at least double that of the previous number of hostages held by the Hamas government in 2007 and 2008. The Israeli government has confirmed that 34 of the 129 hostages have died, but the number could be as high as 40. The total number of hostage-takers held by Hamas is now estimated to be more than 1,000, according to the Israeli government and the U.S. State Department. This number is expected to rise to 2,000 by the end of the year.