SwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

It's not self-evident that Hamas knows where the hostages are

Around 60 hostages are believed to still be alive in Gaza. But statements from senior Hamas commanders have raised the question of whether anyone even knows where they are being held captive. There is no map of where they are located, says Hamas expert Magnus Ranstorp.

» Published: October 22 2024

It's not self-evident that Hamas knows where the hostages are
Photo: Leo Correa/AP/TT

"No one has any idea" about how many of the hostages taken from Israel during the terrorist attacks on October 7 who are still alive, said senior Hamas commander Osama Hamdan, who is in Beirut, to CNN last summer.

According to Israeli estimates, around 60 of the approximately 100 people believed to be remaining in Gaza are thought to be alive. They have likely been divided into smaller groups and are being hidden by local cells or individuals.

But the question is whether Hamas has control over exactly where in the war-torn strip the hostages are being held.

There must be people in Hamas who have the overall picture, or at least contact with those who are hiding them, says Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert who has long researched Hamas.

Tunnels in Rafah

Even if the exact locations are not known higher up in the terrorist-stamped group's command chain, there are likely ways to contact the individual cells or persons responsible for the hostages and thus be able to locate them.

Accounts from the captives who have been released during extensive and bloody operations in Gaza show that at least some of them were moved several times in the early weeks of the war, and that they were later kept in a more permanent location as Israel's control over Gaza increased.

Some hostages have been held in residential houses, in darkened rooms without windows, while most are believed to be in Hamas' extensive tunnel system underground.

In late August, Israel's military found six hostages who had recently been killed in a tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza.

Magnus Ranstorp believes that many of the captives are located in the southernmost part of the strip, where Israel has not yet entered with the same forces as in the northern areas.

Key individuals may have been killed

Depending on the security situation, and considering Israel's extensive eavesdropping capabilities, communication between the local cells holding the hostages and the Hamas leadership likely takes a long time.

In the event of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, it would therefore be difficult to release all of them simultaneously. There is also a risk that the individuals responsible for the hostages locally have been captured by Israel or killed in Israeli attacks.

I think it's not easy to get an overall picture of where these people are, even for Hamas, says Ranstorp.

During the terrorist-stamped Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, around 250 people, most of them Israelis, were taken hostage and brought to Gaza. They are being held by Hamas and other armed extremist groups that participated on October 7.

During a week-long ceasefire in November, over 100 hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Several more Israelis have been released by the country's military.

Currently, it is estimated that nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza, about 60 of them alive, according to Israel.

Since Israel declared war on Hamas after the terrorist attack, more than 43,000 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled strip.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Germany Approves €3 Billion Military Aid Package for Ukraine

Germany Approves €3 Billion Military Aid Package for Ukraine

Over 100,000 Flee Eastern Congo Amid Escalating Violence

Over 100,000 Flee Eastern Congo Amid Escalating Violence

High Descent Speed Cited in Toronto Plane Crash Report

High Descent Speed Cited in Toronto Plane Crash Report

Germany Approves 500 Billion Euro Loan Package for Defense and Infrastructure

Germany Approves 500 Billion Euro Loan Package for Defense and Infrastructure

Record Deaths on Migration Routes in 2024, Reports UN Agency

Record Deaths on Migration Routes in 2024, Reports UN Agency

Israel Expands Gaza Occupation Amid Hostage Standoff with Hamas

Israel Expands Gaza Occupation Amid Hostage Standoff with Hamas

Fire Erupts at Russian Gas Facility Amid Blame Game with Ukraine

Fire Erupts at Russian Gas Facility Amid Blame Game with Ukraine

Russian Security Council Chair Shoygu Meets Kim Jong-Un in North Korea

Russian Security Council Chair Shoygu Meets Kim Jong-Un in North Korea

Sudan's Military Claims Control of Presidential Palace Amid Ongoing Clashes

Sudan's Military Claims Control of Presidential Palace Amid Ongoing Clashes

Russia's Sergey Shoygu Meets Kim Jong-Un in North Korea

Russia's Sergey Shoygu Meets Kim Jong-Un in North Korea

Argentina's CGT Union Calls 24-Hour Strike for April 10

Argentina's CGT Union Calls 24-Hour Strike for April 10

Israeli Court Temporarily Blocks Dismissal of Security Chief Ronen Bar

Israeli Court Temporarily Blocks Dismissal of Security Chief Ronen Bar

US to Finalize Mineral Agreement with Ukraine Soon, Says Trump

US to Finalize Mineral Agreement with Ukraine Soon, Says Trump

Kristersson Criticizes Hungary's Stance on Ukraine at EU Summit

Kristersson Criticizes Hungary's Stance on Ukraine at EU Summit

Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Southern and Eastern Lebanon

Israel Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Southern and Eastern Lebanon

Haiti's Media Under Siege as Gangs Target Journalists

Haiti's Media Under Siege as Gangs Target Journalists

Israel Intensifies Ground Operations Across Southern Gaza

Israel Intensifies Ground Operations Across Southern Gaza

Norwegian Police in Finnmark Offered Bonuses to Boost Retention

Norwegian Police in Finnmark Offered Bonuses to Boost Retention

Trump Backs Israel's Recent Actions in Gaza, Says White House

Trump Backs Israel's Recent Actions in Gaza, Says White House

Sudan's Army Closes In on Presidential Palace Amid Intensifying Conflict

Sudan's Army Closes In on Presidential Palace Amid Intensifying Conflict

French Citizen Freed After 880 Days in Iranian Detention

French Citizen Freed After 880 Days in Iranian Detention

Teens Among Victims in North Macedonia Nightclub Fire

Teens Among Victims in North Macedonia Nightclub Fire

Kristersson Criticizes Hungary's Ban on Pride Events at EU Summit

Kristersson Criticizes Hungary's Ban on Pride Events at EU Summit

UK Report: Up to 250,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in Ukraine Conflict

UK Report: Up to 250,000 Russian Soldiers Killed in Ukraine Conflict

Canada Set for April 28 Elections, Sources Reveal

Canada Set for April 28 Elections, Sources Reveal

USA and Russia to Resume Talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday

USA and Russia to Resume Talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday

Trump Moves to Dissolve Education Department, Cites Sweden as Model

Trump Moves to Dissolve Education Department, Cites Sweden as Model

Zelensky Confirms Upcoming US Talks Amid European Support Tour

Zelensky Confirms Upcoming US Talks Amid European Support Tour

Sweden Ready to Join Ukraine Peacekeeping Talks, Says PM Kristersson

Sweden Ready to Join Ukraine Peacekeeping Talks, Says PM Kristersson

Istanbul Protests Escalate as Police Use Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets

Istanbul Protests Escalate as Police Use Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets

China Executes Four Canadians for Drug Offenses, Canada Condemns

China Executes Four Canadians for Drug Offenses, Canada Condemns

EU's Defense Funding: Navigating Complex Paths to Billions by 2030

EU's Defense Funding: Navigating Complex Paths to Billions by 2030

Meta AI Debuts in Europe, Navigating Unique Regulatory Landscape

Meta AI Debuts in Europe, Navigating Unique Regulatory Landscape

Israeli Forces Down Yemen-Launched Drone Targeting Ben Gurion Airport

Israeli Forces Down Yemen-Launched Drone Targeting Ben Gurion Airport

Greenpeace Faces $660 Million Penalty Over Dakota Pipeline Protests

Greenpeace Faces $660 Million Penalty Over Dakota Pipeline Protests

Israel Claims Killing of Hamas Intelligence Chief in Gaza Strikes

Israel Claims Killing of Hamas Intelligence Chief in Gaza Strikes

13 Soldiers Killed in Niger Attacks by Jihadist Groups

13 Soldiers Killed in Niger Attacks by Jihadist Groups

Russian Drone Attack in Ukraine Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured

Russian Drone Attack in Ukraine Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured

Istanbul Erupts in Protest After Mayor's Arrest Despite Ban

Istanbul Erupts in Protest After Mayor's Arrest Despite Ban

Tourist Survives 7-Hour Avalanche Ordeal in Norway's Lyngen Alps

Tourist Survives 7-Hour Avalanche Ordeal in Norway's Lyngen Alps