As Many as 30 Hostages in Gaza Are Under the Age of 18, Israeli Army Says, Dozens Remain Missing
Tensions over the fate of the hostages, Americans and other nationalities among them, is ratcheting up as the prospect of an all-out ground war in Gaza increases.
The Israeli Defense Forces say that there are as many as 30 Israeli and other citizens under the age of 18 and between 10 and 20 elderly people among the more than 200 hostages being held captive in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
The IDF said that on top of the 203 hostages known to be held there are between 100 and 200 people who cannot be accounted for and may be captive as well. Soldiers are still finding bodies in the communities near the border with Gaza, the agency said, but most are those of terrorists who attacked the area October 7.
Tensions over the fate of the hostages, Americans and other nationalities among them, has ratcheted up since Israel raised the prospect of an all-out ground war in the Gaza strip. The Israeli army said it believes most of the hostages are still alive, but the bodies of some of those still missing might have been taken into Gaza as well.
Israel’s economy minister, Nir Barakat, told ABC News Thursday that the Israeli army has been given the green light to invade Gaza at its discretion, and that finding and rescuing hostages in the territory will be a secondary objective behind destroying Hamas. “We shall do all efforts to bring our hostages, to bring our hostages [back] alive…” he said, but the “first and last priority” is destroying Hamas.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, met with IDF soldiers massed near the border Thursday and told them “we are going to win with all our strength.” He added, “The entire people of Israel stand behind you, and we will deliver a severe blow to our enemies to achieve victory.”
The IDF officer charged with the hostage recovery operations, Major General Nitzan Alon, told the Jerusalem Post that the army is using every scrap of intelligence available to identify and locate the hostages. Civilians from Israel’s high-tech community have been drafted to assist the efforts, he said.
“All of my soul and brain are committed to this, with hundreds of people,” he said. “We will not stop for a moment until we find any way possible to return our dear ones to us.”
