Egyptian officials have said Israel urged Egypt to help mediate the release of Israeli forces and settlers captured by Palestinian resistance fighters after they launched a surprise assault across the occupied territories.
On Saturday, Hamas launched the large-scale operation, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, with a heavy barrage of rockets in response to Israel’s desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.
Following the operation, a spokesperson for the Israeli defense forces confirmed that Israeli settlers and soldiers are held captive in Gaza, however, the spokesperson declined to specify the number of hostages.
A senior Hamas official and Egyptian officials told The Wall Street Journal that the Palestinian resistance group had lost contact with some of those holding the captives, making it difficult to determine how many are being held.
The report added that Israel has asked Egyptian authorities to help negotiate the release of the captives in Gaza.
The Israeli army also confirmed that a “substantial” number of soldiers and settlers were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza.
According to Israeli media outlets, unofficial estimates suggest that approximately 750 Israeli soldiers and settlers have been missing since fighting broke out.
Israeli media reported that although a full day has passed since the unprecedented operation, Palestinian fighters are still present in Israeli settlements.
