240 captives held by Hamas, IDF confirms

Number of captives confirmed to be in the Gaza Strip rises to 240, as the IDF ratchets up ground operations in the coastal enclave.

By World Israel News Staff

An IDF spokesman announced Tuesday that Israel has identified 240 captives still being held in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, following the release of four hostages and rescue of a fifth.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s top spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday morning that the number of confirmed captives has risen to 240, as efforts to identify hundreds of bodies recovered from southern Israel continues.

Many of the remains found in Gaza frontier towns were mutilated and torched, leaving forensics teams struggling to identify individual victims, often working with fragments of bodies.

Efforts to confirm the identities of the dead and kidnapped have been further hampered by the fact that dozens of people reported missing hold foreign citizenship.

Hagari also told reporters that 315 IDF soldiers have been confirmed as casualties of war in the Hamas invasion.

Israeli ground forces, he added, are continuing “to fight and are advancing in their ground operations in Gaza.”

“During this period of coordinated activity between ground and air forces terrorists have been eliminated, and we are continuing to strike hundreds of Hamas targets in the Strip.”

On Monday, the IDF announced that it had rescued Pvt. Ori Megidish from captivity in the Gaza Strip.

“Thanks to the Creator of the World, thanks to our soldiers,” Megidish’s aunt said during an emotional interview with Channel 12. “Thank you to the people of Israel… we are very excited.”

Megidish had served as a border spotter when she was taken captive by terrorists during the October 7th invasion.

Four civilians, including two dual Israeli-American citizens, have been released by Hamas in recent weeks.