A government census released Tuesday reveals Israel believes more than a third of the remaining detainees in Gaza have perished, as the United States endeavors to bolster efforts to reclaim captives held by Palestinian factions in Gaza under a proposed war-ending deal with Hamas.
Among approximately 250 individuals abducted by Palestinian militants into Gaza during Hamas’ assault on Gaza border settlements last October, igniting the war, dozens were released in a November ceasefire, and Israeli forces retrieved others, either alive or deceased.
According to the government tally, 120 detainees still remain, with Israeli officials confirming the deaths of 43 without body retrieval based on intelligence, surveillance footage, eyewitness accounts, and forensic analysis.
Some officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggest the death toll may be higher, Reuters reports.
After Hamas initially threatened to execute its detainees in response to Israeli airstrikes, it claimed that the attacks resulted in fatalities among them.
The Israeli military announced Monday that four more detainees held by Hamas have perished.
U.S. President Joe Biden disclosed an Israeli proposal last Friday to end the war, involving the release of some detainees during a ceasefire.
However, mediation efforts to reach an agreement faltered as Israel insists on resuming its campaign to eradicate Hamas ultimately, and also clashes with Palestinian demands for a guaranteed war cessation and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
