MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Hostages may be held in Hamas' underground tunnels, including in the Jabalia district of the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi told TASS.

When asked about the fighting in Jabalia and the possibility of hostages being held there, the ambassador said: "Maybe. At least the elderly woman who was released some time ago said that she was led through some tunnels."

According to the diplomat, Israel does not have lists of hostages, so the possibility of their release is "not assessable." "We don't even know if any of them are alive or not, because as we know, Hamas has kidnapped bodies as well, not just living people. And the wounded and the elderly. So we don't know what condition they are in," he pointed out.

The Israeli ambassador also said the number of hostages now stands at 240. "As we recall, from infants to old people. And two days ago we managed to find and release one of these hostages, a young female soldier. So slowly this work is progressing. I don't know how long it will take. In terms of percentages, it's really very difficult for me to say," the diplomat added.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.