President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he recently learned that fewer than 24 hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity.
"Out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it's not even that number," Trump commented regarding the figures that Israeli authorities have publicly shared in recent months.
The president spoke during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House attended by the parents of U.S.-Israeli Hamas captive Edan Alexander.
"Edan Alexander's parents are here today. He is the last known living American hostage," Trump said. "We don't know how he's doing, really. We think we know and hopefully positive," he added.
"Two months ago, we were pretty sure. It looked like he was getting out. But [Hamas] toughened up a little bit. And it's a terrible thing, I know, what you're going through," Trump told Yael and Adi Alexander.
On Monday, Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the Israeli prime minister interrupted him when the premier said that there are "up to 24 alive."
"To date, we have returned 196 of our hostages, 147 alive," Benjamin Netanyahu said during an event honoring Israelis and Diaspora Jews picked to light torches at the main state Independence Day ceremony.
"There are up to 24 alive," Netanyahu continued his remarks, followed by a brief pause and his wife whispering, "Fewer" into his ear.
Sara Netanyahu's response was based on classified information that was relayed to Cabinet ministers, the Kan News public broadcaster reported.
Speaking at the annual International Bible Contest in Jerusalem on Thursday, Independence Day, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that there are "up to 24 living, 59 in total. We want to bring back the living and the deceased as well."
"It's a very important goal," he continued, while adding, "In the war, there is the ultimate goal, and that ultimate goal is the victory over our enemies, and that we will achieve."
Jerusalem's three goals for the war in the Gaza Strip are to eradicate Hamas as a military and political body, bring all of the hostages home, and prevent the enclave from reemerging as a security threat to Israel in the future.
This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.