Washington D.C. – CNN, January 27, 2025
Eight of the remaining hostages set to be released by Hamas in the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel are dead, according to an Israeli government spokesperson.
The rest of the 33 hostages who were expected to be returned from Gaza to their families are alive, David Mencer said in a briefing on Monday, including seven who have already been returned. Israeli authorities were notified of the hostages’ status after receiving a list from Hamas, he said.
According to Mencer, the eight dead were killed by Hamas. The Palestinian militant group has not commented on their cause of death.
