Le président américain Donald Trump said Tuesday that three of the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza were dead, bringing to 21 the number of people authorities believe are still alive.
"As of today, there are 21 of them, three are dead," Trump said of the hostages held by Hamas, adding that until recently there were 24 presumed survivors. He gave no details on the identities of the victims or how the deaths were confirmed. "There are 21 alive, plus many more bodies," he added.
Among the hostages was American Edan Alexander, long believed to be alive. Several other American citizens have also been held by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which marked the beginning of the current conflict.
The president's remarks come as Israel approved a plan on Monday to seize the Gaza Strip permanently, with an extended military presence in the Palestinian territory. This operation, officially aimed at recovering the hostages and "wiping out" Hamas, would constitute a major escalation of the conflict and is already raising serious international concerns.
Meanwhile, the State Department announced Tuesday that the U.S. embassy helped 17 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents leave Gaza on Monday. "We thank our Israeli and Jordanian partners who made this departure possible," the U.S. diplomatic service said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for his part, met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Washington on Monday.
