Israel-Hamas War: Israeli military says hostage count is now at 199

The Israeli military says 199 hostages are being held in Gaza, a number that is higher than previous estimates, The Associated Press is reporting.

They were kidnapped when Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israel just over a week ago, killing more than 1,400 people.

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All the families of the hostages have been notified, according to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman.

Hagari did not specify whether any of the 199 hostages are foreigners, nor did he say who is holding the hostages.

Israel’s military continued to urge residents to move from northern Gaza as it promised it will respond to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 with “an even greater force.”

According to the BBC, more than 2,700 people in Gaza have been killed in retaliatory strikes by Israel.

Gaza is a narrow strip of land that sits between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. Around 2 million people live in the 140-square-mile territory. According to the CIA World Factbook, 98%-99% of Gazans are Muslim, with most of the rest Christians.

The Israel Defense Forces told citizens in Gaza it would not carry out any military operations along a southern evacuation route on Sunday.

Thousands have been gathering close to the Rafah crossing with Egypt over the weekend, in hopes of getting out of Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive.