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A man and a child walk past portraits of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, in Tel Aviv on November 21, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian armed group. Ahmad Gharabli, Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that three more hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have died, bringing the number still alive to 21.
Trump said that 24 hostages were alive when he received a recent visit by former Israeli hostages but "as of today it's 21, three have died."
"Twenty-one, plus a lot of dead bodies," the president said at a White House swearing-in ceremony for his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
He did not provide any further details.
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"We want to try and get as many hostages saved as possible," Trump said. "This is a terrible situation."
The Israeli military, in its most recent update, said out of the 251 people abducted by militants in October 2023, 58 are still held in Gaza including 34 believed to be dead.
Israel's military resumed its offensive on the Gaza Strip on March 18, ending a two-month truce that saw a surge in aid into the war-ravaged territory and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 2,507 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in mid-March, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,615.
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© Agence France-Presse