Alon Nimrodi, the father of IDF soldier Tamir Nimrodi, said Thursday that his son is the hostage whose life Israeli authorities fear may be in danger, due to the lack of any sign of life since his abduction on October 7, 2023.
“This didn’t come from an official source,” Nimrodi told Ynet. “It’s simply the fact that there has been no sign of life from him since October 7.” According to Israeli officials, the two other hostages whose lives are feared to be at risk among the 24 previously classified as alive are Netphong Phinta, 35, of Thailand, and Bipin Joshi, 24, of Nepal.
The statement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said in a remark that unsettled many hostage families that “only 21 hostages are alive in Gaza.” That figure appeared to contradict Israel’s long-standing count of 24. In a separate incident, Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was overheard whispering “fewer” as her husband publicly stated that “up to 24” hostages are believed to be alive.
A senior Israeli official later confirmed that there is now grave concern for the lives of three hostages among the 24, although no formal changes to their classification have been made.
“No one has seen or heard from him,” said Nimrodi of his son. “This is an IDF intelligence assessment based solely on the lack of a sign of life. We know he was abducted alive, taken to Jabaliya alive, and even interrogated there. But it’s not based on any official declaration. Tamir is listed with a question mark. We shouldn’t normalize the number as 21—he’s part of the list of 24 considered alive. That’s the Defense Ministry’s stance.”
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“This is all based on what Trump and Sara Netanyahu said—it didn’t come from the defense establishment,” he added. “I confirmed it again today, and I’m stating it unequivocally.”
In its first official statement following remarks that deeply unsettled families of hostages, an Israeli official confirmed Thursday that 59 hostages are currently being held by Hamas. Of these, 35 have been declared deceased—32 are Israeli citizens and three are foreign nationals.
“According to the information available to Israel, 21 hostages are confirmed to be alive,” the official said. “There is serious concern for the lives of three additional hostages from whom no signs of life have been received since the early days of the war.” The families of these three—one Israeli and two foreign nationals—were informed of this assessment long ago, the statement added.
The official emphasized that families of the hostages receive continuous and detailed updates on the condition of their loved ones. “All relevant information held by the Hostage and Missing Persons Directorate is systematically conveyed to the family through an assigned intelligence officer who works directly with them,” the statement said. “Families are regularly invited to briefings with the hostage coordinator and remain in contact with both military liaison officers and representatives from the civilian directorate.”
Tamir Nimrodi, the Israeli hostage in question, was kidnapped from the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison base where he was serving, one month before his 19th birthday. He was abducted alongside fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, both of whom were later returned to Israel for burial. Tamir’s family has received no sign of life or information about his condition since October 7. However, video footage shows him being led away on foot, barefoot and in pajamas.