59 hostages still held by Hamas, 24 alive: anger grows against Netanyahu

After the new Israeli raids on Gaza, the number of hostages still held by Hamas drops to 59. Tensions are growing with the Netanyahu government, accused of not doing enough to save them

There are 59 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and other groups active in the Palestinian enclave. However, according to the Israeli media, only 24 of them are still alive. The mobilisation of the hostages’ families continues to grow, with heavy accusations levelled at Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for “abandoning” them after the new air raids that Israel launched overnight against Gaza, controlled by Hamas since 2007.

This morning, a Hamas official, quoted by the Al-Alaby Al-Jadeed news agency, reported that one of the hostages was killed and others wounded as a result of the air strikes. The Gaza Strip has been the scene of intense military clashes in recent months, with Israeli operations starting after an attack on 7 October 2023, when 251 people were taken hostage.

Despite an agreed ceasefire on 19 January 2024, the situation remains extremely tense. The agreement, which had brought a temporary truce, proved fragile and the first phase ended after 42 days. In the last few hours, Netanyahu has ordered new attacks on Gaza, accusing Hamas of refusing to release the hostages and rejecting the proposals made by mediators, including US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The situation continues to escalate, with family members of the hostages demanding more efforts for their release and denouncing the Israeli government’s handling.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)