Israel notified their families identity of the 97 kidnapped by the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed today.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad They claim to have about 130 hostages between the two groups, despite some Israeli estimates They increased the number to about 200.
Hagari also reported that the families of 222 soldiers who died in the fighting since the war against Palestinian militias in Gaza began on Saturday, although the number of dead soldiers is estimated to be higher among more than 1,300 dead Israelis.
“Dear families, even during the fighting, we make three main efforts: the effort of operational intelligence, for make a diagnosis of the situation of captives and missing personsand for helping their families,” said Brigadier General Gal Hirsch, appointed by the government as coordinator for captives and missing persons, in a statement today.
The coordinator explained that The land search continues, as well as the difficult work of identifying the remains.
“Many of the injured are being treated at the hospital and We checked every piece of information that could help us. to find the lost,” he said.
Hirsch spoke last night with the US presidential envoy for the hostage issue, Roger Carstensand today he will meet his successor, Steven Gillenwho came to Israel to discuss the issue.
“The warm relationship, sincere concern and American commitment to help in any way possible They are very important to us”Hirsch announced.
“My staff and I work 24 hours a day for the missing, the captives and their families. “Together we win and we win,” he added.
Hamas launched a surprise attack by land, sea and air on Saturday, catching Israel, which declared war on militias in Gaza and Since then, armed clashes have taken place in twenty points on the territory of Israel.and the exchange of fire by air continues, with rockets from the strip and Israeli bombardments of the enclave.
This new war is the cause more than 1,300 were killed in Israel and more than 3,200 were injured; while the retaliatory airstrikes of the Israeli aviation claim at least 1,200 lives and 5,700 injured in Gaza.
