Hamas still holds 241 Israeli hostages; says IDF

Ahead of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's speech later today, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that Israel is ready to respond against anyone if required and will continue to respond in the northern border in the coming days.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari on Friday revised the number of hostages being held by the Hamas terror group after the October 7 barbaric attack, The Times of Israel reported.

Hagari said that Hamas still holds 241 Israeli hostages in Gaza and revised the number from 242. He added that the number is not final as military investigations are going on in the region.

The Times of Israel reported that the number does not include four released hostages and an Israeli soldier who was rescued by the IDF.

Meanwhile, the IDF announced the death of another soldier, Staff Sgt. Itay Saadon who was killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Times of Israel reported that the soldier was a tank commander in the 401st Armoured Brigade's 52nd Battalion, from Har Halutz.


The IDF's toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip last week has risen to 24, The Times of Israel reported.

Additionally, the IDF also shared a video of Israeli troops discovering a tunnel and blowing up another.

Moreover, IDF on Friday said that their security forces eliminated the Hamas battalion commander during overnight operations who was directed by Mustafa Dalul and held key positions in the Hamas Gaza city brigade.

IDF also shared an audio, citing a source in the Gaza healthcare system that Hamas is stealing fuel from Gazan civilians, storing it under Shifa Hospital and using it for terror.

In a separate post on X, IDF released a video of showing troops discovering a tunnel and blowing up another.


"The troops uncovered shafts, planted explosives... and neutralized the tunnels," the IDF said.

IDF troops uncovered tunnel shafts, rigged them with explosives, and neutralized Hamas's terrorist tunnels during special operations inside Gaza.

The Times of Israel reported that the Israel Defence Forces says troops in the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit have been working to demolish Hamas tunnels discovered during ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

Yahalom troops, members of the Combat Engineering Corps' 7107th Battalion, along with infantry forces of the Nahal and Negev brigades, as well as tanks, have uncovered several tunnel entrances in northern Gaza, the IDF says.

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