In a recent statement to TASS, the Israeli Ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, revealed that hostages may be held in underground tunnels belonging to the Palestinian movement Hamas, particularly in the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip.
He stated, “An elderly woman who was released some time ago said that they were taken through some tunnels,” in response to questions about the fighting in Jabalia and the possibility of hostages being held there.
Ben Zvi emphasized that Israel does not have a list of hostages, making it difficult to assess the possibility of their release. The ambassador noted that the Israeli side is even unaware of the condition of the hostages.
“We don’t even know who among them is alive or not, because, as we know, Hamas kidnaps bodies, not just living people,” Ben Zvi pointed out.
According to the ambassador, there are currently 240 hostages.
“Two days ago, one of these hostages, a young servicewoman, was found and freed. This work is progressing slowly. I don’t know how long it will take,” the diplomat concluded.
Prior to this, the extraordinary and plenipotentiary Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, reported that at the moment, there are five or six Russian citizens among the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, it was stated in Israel that it would not be possible to free the hostages with the help of Qatar.
