Conflicting messages from the U.S. and Israeli governments are raising concerns among the families of hostages held in Gaza. An Israeli official contradicted a message from President Donald Trump, in which the U.S. president said three of the 24 hostages previously believed alive are dead.
In response, Israel’s leader on hostage negotiations said two dozen captives held by Hamas in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks are still alive. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to lend credence to Trump’s assertion.
What did Trump say?
Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday, May 6, about the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza. He said he spoke with several hostages recently released by Hamas, who told him the number of living hostages had decreased.
Trump told the media he asked the former hostages how many were left. According to Trump, “They said, well, only 24 are living. But now, it’s 21. That was a week ago. But now, it’s 21 are living.”
What are Israeli officials saying?
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for issues relating to captives, posted on X that Hamas holds 59 hostages, 24 of whom are alive and 35 of whom are dead, asserting the numbers have remained unchanged since before Trump spoke.
Shortly after Hirsch’s post on X, Netanyahu put out a video statement acknowledging there is “doubt” that three of the hostages in Gaza are alive, though he did not reveal their identities.
יש כלל אחד שמנחה אותי: ישראל תגן על עצמה – בכל מקום, מול כל איום, בכוחות עצמה.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 7, 2025
צפו בעדכון חשוב ממני >> pic.twitter.com/YHPwmXBr5d
How are hostage families responding?
The unclear messaging is stoking fears among the families of hostages still held in Gaza and the fate of how many may actually be alive amid Israel’s enhanced ground assault in the region and stalled negotiations over a new hostage deal.
Why are the hostages’ fates unclear?
The mixed messaging could be because Israel’s intelligence has yet to receive signs that some hostages are still alive but must consider them living until they can confirm their deaths, according to The Times of Israel.
On April 29, Netanyahu’s wife Sara angered hostages’ families calling for an end to the war when she said the number of captives still alive stood at fewer than 24, The Times of Israel noted.
Amid the dread from families of those held hostage, Hirsch says the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) keep in contact with the families and make sure they have the most up-to-date information.
“The IDF maintains continuous contact with the families of all the hostages and we are available to them for updates, clarifications and IDF reviews in various ways and at any time,” Hirsch wrote on X. “All the families of the hostages are always updated with the information we have about their loved ones.”
Escalating conflict
Questions over the hostages’ fate come as Israel approved plans this week to take over the Gaza Strip for an undisclosed amount of time while it vows to free the remaining hostages and dismantle Hamas and its capabilities. Families of the hostages reportedly fear that escalating the war could further jeopardize the lives of those still held by Hamas. Hirsch said five of the remaining hostages, living and dead, are foreign nationals. One of those is an American.
The backstory
Hamas abducted more than 250 people on Oct. 7, 2023, during a terrorist attack at a music festival that left roughly 1,200 people dead in Israel. Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has continued since the initial attack. The war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and left the region in ruins.
