Jerusalem:
Eight of the hostages who were due to be freed in the first phase of a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas are dead, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Monday.
“The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives,” Mencer told reporters, without providing the names of the victims.
That means that of the 26 hostages who have not yet been released under the first phase of the deal, only 18 are still alive.
The truce agreement, announced in early January after months of fruitless negotiations, came into force on January 19, ending more than 15 months of war sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Under the first phase of the deal, 33 hostages held by militants in Gaza will be freed in exchange for more than 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel.
Seven Israeli women have been released since the start of the truce, as have 290 Palestinian prisoners.
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