Israel confirms 97 being held hostage by Hamas

By Ekrem Biceroglu

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday that 97 Israelis were taken hostage by the Palestinian group Hamas during the Saturday morning attack, saying that their families have been informed of the situation and their release may take a "longer time."

“We are aware of the situation of the families waiting for news regarding the fate of their relatives,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

The spokesman stressed that authorities "need to make 100% sure of hostage situations before reaching out to their families, even if it takes a long time."

Hagari also noted that "97 families were kept up to date on their relatives' hostage situation."

Meanwhile, in charge of missing persons and abductees at the Prime Minister's Office, Gal Hirsch, said intelligence and operational efforts to find missing persons are still ongoing.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Samson Liebman, a Tel Aviv administration official, said they received more than 800 applications for missing persons.

Liebman added that they will hold a meeting on Oct. 13 to provide information and assistance.

Earlier, Israeli authorities claimed that there were more than 100 hostages, though Hamas had not yet provided an exact number.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara