Israel Working to Determine How Many Hostages Were Taken to Gaza

Jerusalem, 8 October, 2023 (TPS) -- The Israel Defense Forces set up a situation room to determine how many civilians and soldiers Hamas terrorists kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, the military announced on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Lior Carmeli is tasked with leading the effort.

Hamas claimed on Saturday to have abducted 163 Israelis and taken them to the Gaza Strip after dispatching dozens of terrorists into the Jewish state as part of a major attack.

The IDF says the situation room will work to compile a “situational picture” for locating the captives, noting that “some families have already received messages about their loved ones.”