Israeli negotiator confirms dozens of Gaza hostages are “alive with certainty”

An Israeli negotiator has informed AFP that dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are confirmed to be alive, stressing that Israel cannot cease its military operations until all captives are freed through an agreement.

On October 7, Hamas militants took 251 hostages, and Israel believes that 116 of them remain in Gaza, including 41 who the Israeli military says have died.

“Dozens are certainly alive,” stated the official, who spoke anonymously as he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

“We cannot leave them there for a long time; they will die,” he added, noting that most of the hostages are held by Hamas militants.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden presented a three-phase proposal to end the Gaza conflict, which includes a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Biden’s plan calls for an initial “full and complete ceasefire” lasting six weeks, during which Israeli forces would withdraw from “all populated areas of Gaza.”

The Israeli official argued that the conflict with Hamas cannot end before a hostage deal is secured, as the militants might “breach their commitment… and prolong negotiations for 10 years” or more.

“We cannot, at this moment—before signing the agreement—commit to ending the war,” the official stated.

The negotiator explained that during the first phase, there is a provision to negotiate the second phase, which involves the release of male hostages and soldiers.

The Israeli negotiating team has approved Biden’s plan, according to the official.

“We are waiting for Hamas to agree,” he said.

The Israeli government has not yet publicly endorsed Biden’s proposal.

“If we don’t reach an agreement with Hamas, the IDF (Israeli army) will continue its operations in Gaza with the same intensity as now,” the official emphasized.

“The approach might change, but the intensity will remain.”

The conflict between Israel and Hamas began following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, which allegedly resulted in 1,194 deaths, based on official Israeli figures compiled by AFP.

Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza have led to at least 37,347 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.