As of August 28, 2024, 117 hostages had been returned alive to Israel, with 105 being released in a prisoner exchange deal, 4 released by Hamas unilaterally and 8 rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

It was believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF. So 64 were still alive but now with 6 more dead -- total dead 77 and 57 alive

From: Al Jazeera September 3, 2024
“I will not give in to pressure,” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tens of thousands demonstrate in Israel on Monday for a second consecutive day of mass protests criticising the Israeli government for not securing a ceasefire deal and the release of captives held in Gaza.

There has been reluctance over the course of Israel’s war on Gaza by the US president to criticise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the conflict.

But that all changed on Monday when asked by reporters on the south lawn of the White House whether the Israeli prime minister was doing enough to try and close the deal with Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement.

The US president said, simply, no.

Hamas’s armed wing says Netanyahu’s reliance on Israeli military raids in Gaza – instead of a truce deal – means more captives will “be returned to their families in coffins”.

1. It is the terrorists Hamas who murdered the hostages, in cold blood while in negotiations, for a Ceasefire and Hostage Release Deal.
2. It is the terrorists that appears to be having a decisive say. Hamas says, No deal means captives in ‘coffins’

From: The White House Readout September 2, 2024
President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable.