JERUSALEM, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Eight of the hostages due for release in the first phase of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas are dead, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Monday.

"The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives," Mencer told reporters. That means that of the 26 hostages yet to be freed under the first phase of the agreement, only 18 are still alive.