Hamas Leader Says He Doesn’t Know How Many Hostages Remain Alive in Gaza: ‘The Number Is Not So Important’

A senior Hamas leader claims to not know how many hostages are still held by the group, saying that the tally is “not so important.”

Ghazi Hamad, a top figure in Hamas’ political wing, pleaded ignorance during an interview with CBS News that aired on Thursday, when the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas still stood and more hostages were in the process of being released.

“I don’t know,” Hamad said when asked how many living hostages remained in Hamas’ hands at that point.

A woman looks at posters showing the pictures of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants since the October 7 attack, near Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Pressed on the matter, Hamad said, “The number is not so important.”

As of Friday — when the peace was broken, with Israeli officials reportedly blaming Hamas’ refusal to release more women — 110 hostages had been released, and 137 were believed to remain in Gaza, according to an Israeli government spokesperson.

But the latter number may not be an accurate count of the living hostages, in part because it includes 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, his 4-year-old brother Ariel and their mother Shiri.

Hamas has claimed that the three died in captivity as the result of an Israeli air strike, but Israel said it is still investigating that claim.

A full accounting may also be complicated by the fact that the hostages are likely not held by Hamas alone, and may have scattered while in the custody of other terrorist and organized crime groups that operate out of Gaza.

Dozens are also believed to be held by other terror groups allied with Hamas, like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and organized crime families based in Gaza.