‘Majority’ of hostages in Gaza are alive: Israel army

An arial view shows destoyed buildings in al-Zahra city south of Gaza City on October 20, 2023 following Israeli bombardment overnight amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.//AFP

Jerusalem – Most of the 200 or so people kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants and taken to the Gaza Strip are still alive, the Israeli military said on Friday.

“The majority of the hostages are alive. There were also dead bodies that were taken… to the Gaza Strip,” an army statement said.

The military said more than 20 hostages were children, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. There are also between 100 and 200 people considered missing since the Hamas attacks, the army added.

On October 7, the Palestinian militant group carried out a deadly assault on Israel, the worst in the country’s 75-year history, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly…