Trump's comment prompted the group representing the families of hostages to ask the Israeli government to share any new information with them immediately.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have died, leaving only 21 believed to be still living. “As of today, it’s 21, three have died,” Trump said of the hostages being held by Hamas,

Aid officials have frequently accused Israel of deliberately disregarding the complexity of aid distribution in an environment such as Gaza, laid waste by 19 months of a war that has destroyed much of its infrastructure and displaced almost all of its 2.3 million population several times.