‘No one knows how many Israeli hostages are still alive,’ Hamas official tells CNN

The Jerusalem Post reports: “‘No one has an idea’ of how many of the remaining 120 hostages in Gaza are still alive, Hamas official Osama Hamdan, currently based in Lebanon, admitted in an interview with CNN on Thursday.

Hamdam spoke with CNN journalist Ben Wedeman in Beirut, where he said that Hamas ‘needed a clear position from Israel to accept the ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, and let the Palestinians to determine their future by themselves,’ CNN quoted him as saying, ‘the reconstruction, the (lifting) of the siege … and we are ready to talk about a fair deal about the prisoners exchange.’

He went on to say in the interview that a key issue for the ceasefire deal was its duration, claiming that Israel does not intend to follow through all the steps in the deal.

The CNN report then describes Hamdan ‘repeatedly deflecting any questions about Hamas’ role in the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.’ He said that the October 7 massacre leading to the war in Gaza was a ‘reaction against the occupation.’…”

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