It's the Brian Larosho on WNIC, good morning everyone. We'll focus first today on the

hostages being held by Hamas. Tomorrow will be two weeks since the October 7th assault

in which they were taken. Probably doesn't even need to be stated, but human rights watch

lists hostage taking as a war crime. The numbers are in precise, but Israeli and Hamas estimates

are similar. As Reuters reports, it Israel says 203 Hamas says it has 200 hostages itself

and that 50 more are held by other armed groups in Gaza. Hamas claims more than 20 hostages

have been killed by Israeli air strikes, but hasn't provided any evidence of that. And

who are the hostages? Well Reuters quotes Israel saying they include 30 teenagers and young

children and 20 people over the age of 60. Reuters reports the hostages include people

from dozens of countries. Many of them with dual Israeli citizenship, 20 or more Americans

are missing, said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday according to Reuters,

but he couldn't say how many of those were being held hostage. Republican Senator Jim

Rish told reporters on Tuesday that 10 of the hostages were Americans. Thailand revised

to 17. The number of its citizens being held, a Germans are among the hostages about half

of whom were seized at a caboot, according to local media. Argentine president Alberto Fernandez

said in a video call with families that 16 of his countrymen were being held. France has

not said exactly how many of its citizens are held in Gaza, although there are seven

unaccounted four after the attacks of which some they say are being held hostage. Again,

all this according to Reuters, a fear angle, an 18-year-old Dutch national was kidnapped

from Cabrotsba area and taken to Gaza, according to the Dutch government. So again, some of

the statements collated by Reuters' new service regarding hostages from different countries.

President Biden and his speech last night made hostages topic number one in the first

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