There are 24 living hostages still held by Hamas, a member of the negotiation team reiterated on Tuesday. “This is also the official number submitted by the coordinator for the hostages and missing to the mediators during the negotiations,” the source said.
These comments come following an exchange between Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, during a ceremony where they met with the torchlighters. “There are up to 24 living hostages in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. Sara whispered beside him, “Fewer,” to which Netanyahu emphasized, “Up to 24 living hostages.”
PM Netanyahu: There are up to 24 living hostages in Gaza.Sarah responds quietly: "Less."PM replies, emphasizing: "I said up to." pic.twitter.com/Agf34iQGK9
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) April 29, 2025
“On the eve of Remembrance Day, you instilled indescribable panic in the hearts of the hostages’ families, who are already suffering from agonizing uncertainty,” said a statement from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.
“What did you mean by ‘fewer’? Do you know something we don’t?”
The organization is demanding that the Prime Minister clarify his and his wife’s statements and present any intelligence or new information regarding the condition of their loved ones.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, responded in a post on her X/Twitter account: “If the Prime Minister’s wife has new information about hostages who have been killed, I demand to know whether my Matan is still alive or if he was murdered in captivity because her husband refuses to end the war.”
Meanwhile, Israeli officials denied optimistic claims made by Egyptian sources to Reuters about significant progress in the negotiations, calling them “inaccurate.” “Israel is constantly and relentlessly working with the Americans and mediators to advance a deal for the release of our hostages, but so far, no agreement has been reached,” said the source.
Hostage deal negotiations
The main sticking point in the talks remains Hamas’s demand for a ceasefire, while Israel insists that the war will only end if Hamas disarms, withdraws from any civilian or military governance in Gaza, and some of its members go into exile. “The gaps at this point are unbridgeable,” concluded an Israeli official in a conversation with the Post.
Nevertheless, in Israel, there is recognition of a certain shift on Hamas’s part. Hamas is now willing to partially disarm, something it had previously refused. These are messages the organization has conveyed to mediators after a long period of rejecting this demand from Israel. Still, this step is not sufficient for Israel, and significant gaps remain.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.