Israel asks Egypt for help on dozens of Palestinian-held captives

An Egyptian official said Sunday that Israel has sought help from Cairo to ensure the safety of dozens of captives and hostages held by Palestinian militants amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The official added that Egypt’s intelligence chief had contacted Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group to seek information.

According to the official, Palestinian leaders claimed that they don’t yet have a “full picture” of captives, but said those who were brought to Gaza were taken to “secure locations” across the territory.

“It’s clear that they have a big number — several dozens,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to brief media.

Egyptian intelligence also spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, he added, but Israel was not open to a truce “at this stage.”