The number of Israeli hostages alive in captivity in Gaza may be as low as 50, according to leaks from mediators involved in the negotiations for a ceasefire deal.
It is the lowest assessment to date of the 120 people still imprisoned by the Hamas terrorist group, and comes as talks to end the war in Gaza have largely stalled amid growing anger at the Israeli government.
The Israeli authorities have previously estimated around half of the remaining hostages to still be alive, while Hamas admitted last week that “no one has an idea” about their current status.