Netanyahu’s wife says ‘fewer’ than 24 captives still alive in Gaza

CAIRO – 30 April 2025: Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said fewer than 24 captives are still alive in Gaza, interrupting him while mentioning pertinent figures amid the ongoing war.

This revelation has sparked outrage among families of the captives, who are seeking clarity on the status of their relatives still being held in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

In remarks this week, Netanyahu claimed that Israel’s “important task” is to emerge victorious during the Gaza war as well as to bring home the captives.

He noted that Israel has received 196 captives held by Hamas in Gaza until now, including 147 living ones.

“There are … up to 24 living,” Netanyahu said, before his wife was overheard on mic saying “fewer.”

Netanyahu responded back: “I say up to … And the rest are, I’m sorry to say, not alive. And we will return them.”

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Head of Egyptian Intelligence Services Hassan Mahmoud Rashad met today with the Israeli negotiating team, headed by the Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, in Cairo to discuss proposals for reaching a ceasefire in Gaza Strip and a prisoner swap…

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) April 29, 2025

Hamas continues to hold 59 captives, with at least 22 believed to be alive, and has expressed readiness to release all remaining captives in exchange for an end to the Israeli war.

However, Israeli forces resumed bombardment on Gaza on March 18, shattering a two-month ceasefire that had resulted in the release of 38 captives from Gaza, 30 of whom were alive.

Israel has rejected Hamas's offers for a captive deal that would involve the release of all captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.

Instead, Tel Aviv has proposed only a temporary truce, stating that Hamas must disarm for a permanent ceasefire to be established—a condition that Hamas has described as "impossible" and a "red line."

Hamas has warned that the renewed Israeli aggression represents "a death sentence" for the remaining captives.

The war in Gaza has so far killed over 52,300 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, including more than 2,270 fatalities since the resumption of bombardment, according to the health ministry in the enclave.