WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump stated that more hostages held in Gaza may have died recently amid ongoing negotiations.
Trump, a staunch ally of Israel, expressed his concerns during a press briefing in the Oval Office on Friday.
“There could be some that have recently died, is what I’m hearing,“ Trump told reporters, adding that he hoped this information was incorrect.
The president mentioned that over 30 bodies were part of the current negotiation process with Hamas.
Militants originally seized 251 hostages during the massive Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with 47 individuals still held in Gaza.
The Israeli military has confirmed that 25 of these remaining hostages are deceased, and Israel is seeking the return of their remains.
Trump initially stated there were “about 38 dead people — young, beautiful dead people” before revising his numbers to 20 and then 30.
The US president revealed that the United States remains engaged in “very deep negotiation with Hamas” regarding the hostage situation.
Trump issued a direct message to Hamas, saying “We said let them all out right now, let them all out, and much better things will happen for them.”
He added a warning that “if you don’t let them all out, it’s going to be a tough situation, it’s going to be nasty.”
Israel plans to seize Gaza City, the largest urban center in the territory already reduced to rubble by the ongoing conflict.
Israeli forces have warned they will target all tall buildings believed to be used by Hamas operatives.
The October 7 attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,300 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable. – AFP