Posted on 01/08/2025 2:49:38 PM PST by marcusmaximus
Multiple intelligence and security sources at the highest levels of the U.S. and Israel confirm that authorities believe only about 20 of the 251 hostages taken alive by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, remain alive.
One U.S. government source said that 20 is the "working number" of those believed to be alive in ongoing negotiations underway in Qatar between Israel and Hamas.
The figure of 20 is approximate and includes only civilians and female Israeli soldiers taken prisoner.
"If the number included Israeli male soldiers, it could go higher," one senior Israeli source told Newsmax, but suggested it would not be a large increase.
Some public assessments, however, say the number of remaining hostages could be closer to 40.
Neither Israel's embassy in Washington nor the Israel Defense Forces would confirm the accuracy of the numbers.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I doubt they’d keep soldiers alive. Too good a chance might do something to take out Hamas.
It’s time to go medieval on the seventh century savages of Mad Mo and kill 1000 of theirs for every single one of ours.
Neuton Nuke Gaza from Space.
Then turn it back into a garden of Eden.
Holding my breath for the Bibas family and every other soul taken.
If they haven’t been released by 1/27/25 I predict that none of them will survive their ordeal.
The subhuman savages kept the humans in horrible conditions. I don’t know how anyone can survive underground with little oxygen, no light, a pail for a latrine, no contact with loved ones, and lousy food. It has been over a year.
Their treatment was atrociously cruel. Something only a religious fanatic could ever think of doing.
Only way to be sure.
If there were actually more than 20 there may only be 20 by now.
No hostages shall be released, they shall have all expired by then.
Gaza delenda est. Plow up the land and sow it with salt.
I agree.
Way too much focus on hostages, and not enough on the total elimination of Hamas, and relocation of hundreds of thousands of Gazan Arabs to other Arab lands. They simply can’t stay.
I hate to say I’m not surprised if this is true. Apparently the hostages are being held in abysmal conditions and are being mistreated physically.
The Gazans are running out of leverage. They could have ended this thing a year ago or at least 6 months ago. Israel even offered the Hamas leadership safe passage to a 3rd party country in return for the hostages and unconditional surrender. They turned it down. They will simply have to rely on Israeli goodwill and international pressure. But with Trump coming in, the latter is going to be less effective and in fact Israel (and the US) will have even more leverage such as instead of negotiating with the Palestinians they could end up negotiating expansion of the Abraham accords, trade, diplomatic relations with more Arab states in return for an end to the hostilities. In such a case, the Palestinians gain nothing, they have used their plight to prevent wider peace but if everyone else makes peace without them, what do they have left? They have to figure it out for themselves.
With Hamas leadership gone, PLO leadership in Ramallah is very old, there is a power vacuum that could be very dangerous. The media focuses on all the details of conflicts between IDF and Arabs, but almost never covers stories of Arab on Arab conflict unless it’s major news like civil war in Syria and even when the leader is exiled the media doesn’t give much detail. Before this war more Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians than Israelis in various power struggles and clan conflicts. Hamas killed or exiled thousands of PLO supporters after they won the Gaza elections. In Gaza some people are still being killed hijacking aid trucks. In the West Bank, the PLO forces are clashing with the Islamist groups. When Abbas dies there is sure to be internal conflict. I doubt Israel will stay out of it. They may have to go in to defend the PLO from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Ironic if the Palestinians end up needing Israel to protect them from themselves.
Can’t imagine the suffering these people have went through.
Yes. There is no excuse for torture or other physical abuse. As for food, there may be issues since the aid gets stolen and many people are having a hard time in Gaza, but Hamas does most of the stealing so they should feed their hostages. But they spread the hostages out to make it harder for Israel to conduct a successful liberation mission. Hamas claims they don’t even know where some of them are anymore.
You can be sure the Israeli prisoners of war get 3 meals a day, showers, prayer rugs, an hour of outdoor exercise, medical care etc. Heck they even get advanced surgeries to save their lives if needed e.g. Sinwar had a brain tumor removed, for free, by Israeli doctors while he was a prisoner. Then he turned around and killed some of the brain surgeon’s family on Oct 7.
And some people still fight for a two-state solution. There is no 2nd state.
Level the place, and send the civilians packing. Israel should develop Gaza into a second French Riviera.
The Hamasses cannot be allowed to repeat Oct 7th, ever.
Imagine being confined as such with no information except America has not rescued Americans. Trump, I believe, will hit hard and tell any detractors to go straight to hell.
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