Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, says there’s between 100 to 150 people being held captive in Gaza, having been kidnapped from Israel on Saturday.
The Israeli military says it has spoken to the families of 50 of those hostages and will contact more as the military verifies information.
Last night, Hamas said it would kill hostages if Israel launched air strikes without warning. Hamas says it won’t negotiate on the hostages it has taken from Israel until the “end of the battle”
Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, says it will not negotiate with Israel about the hostages it has captured until the fighting is over.
“We have informed all parties that contacted us regarding the enemy’s prisoners held by the resistance that this file will not be opened before the end of the battle,” he says. “And it will only be at a price that the resistance will accept.”
The Israel Defense Forces say they are continuing to attack Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. He says it’s continuing to bomb the Gaza Strip after hitting 200 targets overnight.
More than 700 people have been killed by the strikes, Palestinian authorities say
Earlier, Israel said border with Gaza is secure, three days after the Hamas attack that has killed at least 900 people.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler – Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman – has spoken to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the phone.
Bin Salman said that his country will continue “to stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, achieve their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
He also told Abbas that he was working with all international and regional parties to prevent “an expansion” of the conflict.
It’s worth remembering that Abbas and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, are political rivals. Abbas heads the Fatah movement, which controls the West Bank. He is also the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
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