Hamas militants seized about 120 hostages when they unleashed a surprise attack on Israel and gunned down more than 1,300 people, including civilians, on October 7, the Israeli army said.
After a week of uncertainty, the Israeli army said Hamas had taken at least 120 people captive, including civilians and soldiers, and estimates their total number could be 150, without being certain if they are alive or dead.
Hamas, which threatened to kill the hostages in response to any unannounced Israeli strikes on civilian targets, said 22 of them have been killed in Israeli bombardment, although this cannot be verified. Over 2,200 people have been killed in Israel's strikes on Gaza since last week.Israel's government has tapped Gal Hirsch, a former general embroiled in a corruption scandal, to coordinate the hostage crisis, an appointment that was condemned by observers.
Gershon Baskin, a negotiator for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011, said "any Hamas fighter who hands over a hostage at the border must be guaranteed amnesty and passage to the West Bank". So far there has been no word of any international efforts to secure their release. Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to China next week to meet his"dear friend" Xi Jinping, forging even closer ties in...Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock loses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural...
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