US President Donald Trump announces the deaths of three Israeli captives being held in the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump announced that three more hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza have died, decreasing the number of survivors to 21. This revelation came during a White House ceremony where Steve Witkoff was appointed as the Middle East envoy. Originally, 59 hostages were taken during the October 7 attacks, with only 24 of them believed to be alive, as reported by the freed hostages during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, which actually happened two months prior. However, the President did not disclose the source of the updated information that now shows 21 hostages surviving. Trump expressed concern over the situation, asserting that the objective has been to save as many hostages as possible. The Israeli military’s latest figures report that out of 251 abductions, 58 individuals are still held in Gaza, with 34 considered to be deceased. The conflict resumed on March 18 after a two-month truce, which allowed for increased humanitarian aid and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The Hamas attack led to the deaths of 1,218 individuals in Israel, predominantly civilians. Since the Israeli campaign resumed, the health ministry in Gaza has documented at least 2,507 fatalities, bringing the total war death toll to 52,615.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/trump-hostages-israel-gaza