A leading Hamas official told the London-based Al-Arabi Al-Jadid today (Wednesday) that the group is holding approximately 30 IDF officers captured during the October 7th massacre. He stated that the prisoners are being held in very secure locations far from IDF forces, and that "it is impossible reach them under any circumstances."
The official stated that reports according to which Hamas only has 20 hostages in their possession were not accurate, emphasizing that "of course, it is not possible to accurately determine the number of living prisoners, but what is certain is that it is more than the numbers circulated in the Israeli media."
The source also said that the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, "is not isolated from reality on the ground despite the ongoing war and incessant Israeli intelligence operations" and "continues carrying out his responsibilities as the group's leader."