In an interview aired on Thursday, a Hamas senior official said that “no one knows” how many Israeli hostages remain alive.

CNN reported:

A senior Hamas official told CNN that no one knows how many of the prisoners are still alive. Any deal for their release must also include guarantees of a ceasefire permanent and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

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Hamdan, a Hamas spokesperson and member of the political bureau in Beirut’s capital city, told CNN that the Israeli plan announced last month by US President Joe Biden did not meet Hamas’ demands to end the war.

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Hamdan told CNN that he did not know how many people were still alive. “I have no idea.” “No one knows about this,” said he, claiming – without any proof – that an Israeli operation on Saturday to free four hostages resulted in three deaths, including an American.

Israeli commandos saved four hostages Saturday. Israel claims that there are 116 hostages left, 41 of which are confirmed dead. Hamas may not be aware of the 75 remaining hostages, but its claim that they don’t know is likely to increase pressure on Israel to give in to their demands.

Hamas rejected the terms offered by the Biden Administration, which the U.S. claimed that Israel supported, although it did not do so publicly. Israel claims it is dedicated to eliminating Hamas’s military threat.