1,100 Israelis, Palestinians Dead after Hamas’ Attack on Israel; Netanyahu Mum on Hostage Situation – News18

Mousa Abu Marzouk, the chief deputy of Hamas’ political bureau, told Arabic news channels that the terrorist group has taken more than 100 hostages in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has not revealed how many Israelis have been taken hostage but according to a report by CNN, the death toll in Israel has passed 700.

The Palestinian health ministry said over 313 Palestinians have died and nearly 1,990 wounded in the past 24 hours, including 20 dead and 121 wounded children.

IDF spokesperson Major Ben Wahlhaus said that over 700 Israelis have been killed in the last two days but remained tight-lipped on the number of hostages.

“We’re still fighting down south. People are still inside their homes, inside their safe rooms, inside their bomb shelters,” Wahlhaus said.

It is becoming tough for Israel to establish how many hostages have been taken inside Gaza. Gaza is an isolated coastal enclave of more than 2 million people crammed into 140 square miles and is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

“It is unprecedented in our history that we have so many Israeli nationals in the hands of a terrorist organisation,” lieutenant colonel Jonathan Conricus, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, told CNN.

A separate report by the news outlet said that dozens of young Israelis and foreigners who were attending the Nova music festival in the Negev desert were taken hostage by Hamas. At least 260 bodies were later found at the festival site.

Brazilian and Mexican authorities have said that their citizens are among the hostages.

Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, warned Israel that their attacks in the area could impact hostages. Abu Obaida, the spokesman of the Al Qassam Brigades, told Israeli authorities that they are present in “all axes in the Gaza Strip”.

Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes and IDF forces have entered Gaza to rescue those kidnapped. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, vowing retaliation, asked Israelis to prepare for “a long and difficult war” ahead.

The IDF said that it has struck over 653 targets inside Gaza, including 10 towers used by Hamas.

The Hamas have also taken hostages from the border communities of Israel. The terrorist group took hostages in the border community Be’eri, and the town of Ofakim.

Residents in Be’eri said Hamas terrorists are going door-to-door and trying to break into homes of Israelis.

Hamas is taking hostages in the hope that it will be able to use them as a leverage to free some of the Palestinians lodged in jails.

“I don’t even know what the situation is regarding the hostages, and the situation is not looking good,” Yoni Asher, an Israeli citizen, whose wife and young daughters may have been abducted while visiting Nir Oz, said.