A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel believes 21 hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are alive and that there is grave doubt regarding the fate of three other captives, an official with knowledge of the details said Thursday that “no signs of life have been received from [the three hostages] since the period shortly after the outbreak of the war.”

Two are foreign nationals and one is Israeli, the official said, adding: “Their families have been updated on this situation since then.”

Hamas and other terror groups are holding 59 hostages, 35 of whom are confirmed dead – 32 Israelis, and 3 foreigners.

“The families of the hostages are continuously and thoroughly updated about the condition of their loved ones,” the official continued, adding that “all relevant information possessed by the Hostages, Missing Persons and Returnees Directorate of the Prime Minister’s Office” is conveyed to hostage families by intelligence officers.

The relevant embassies in Israel maintain contact with the families of foreign hostages, the official added, saying: “Their families are supported by Israel, just as the families of Israeli hostages are supported.”

There are two foreign hostages, Bipin Joshi of Nepal and Pinta Nattapong of Thailand, who have not been officially declared dead by Israel.

There are two Israeli hostages, IDF soldier Tamir Nimrodi and civilian Ariel Cunio, with no publicly known signs of life since they were abducted by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023.

But Herut Nimrodi, the mother of Tamir, told reporters Thursday evening that her son is the Israeli hostage indicated by the authorities.

“It’s not that there’s new information,” Nimrodi told reporters on a Zoom meeting organized by the Hostages Family Forum.........

© The Times of Israel