Posted on 08/22/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Friday, suggesting that there are fewer than 20 living hostages still being held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.
“I'm the one that got all of the hostages out. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be out. I worked with Bibi and I worked with Steve Witkoff. But if it wasn't for me, all these hostages would most likely be dead right now, every one of them,” said Trump.
“So now they have 20, but the 20 is actually probably not 20, because a couple maybe aren't around any longer. It's a terrible thing,” he added.
“Now there are 20 live hostages, and it's probably not 20 anymore because some of them are probably no longer with us,” he stated.
“I said, you know, when you get down to 20, [Hamas is] not going to make deals anymore. And they didn't. And then I put out a statement, as you know, that was a tough statement: ‘Go in and get them.’ And they said, ‘We'll give you 10. We'll give you 10. I don't know what Israel is doing, but they were willing now immediately to give us another 10. The situation has to end. It's extortion and it has to end.”
“And we'll see what happens. I actually think they're safer in many ways if you went in and you really went in fast and you did it,” Trump asserted.
Gal Hirsch, the Coordinator for the Captives and Missing, stated shortly after Trump’s comments: “Based on the information available to Israel, there is no change in the details you have received from us.”
Hirsch added, “20 of the hostages are alive, two are in serious condition, and 28 have been confirmed deceased and are classified as fallen hostages.”