According to an internal Israeli report, a fifth of the remaining hostages have died.

More than a fifth of the remaining hostages held in Gaza are dead, according to an internal assessment conducted by the Israeli military.

Israeli intelligence officers have concluded that at least 32 of the remaining 136 hostages captured by Hamas and its allies on October 7 have been killed since the war began, according to a confidential assessment reviewed by The New York Times. The families of the 32 hostages whose deaths have been confirmed have been informed, according to four military officials who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive matter.

The four officials said agents were also assessing unconfirmed intelligence indicating that at least 20 other hostages may also have been killed.

The figure of 32 is higher than any previous figure publicly available to Israeli authorities revealed of hostages who are dead. In a response to a request for comment, the Israeli military said most of the dead were killed on October 7.

The news is likely to worsen fury in Israel, where a debate over the Gaza government's handling of the hostages has been divisive.

More than 240 hostages were captured by Hamas and its allies during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to retaliate with massive airstrikes and then a ground invasion.

About half the hostages have been released, almost all during a temporary ceasefire in November, when they were exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons.

Since that ceasefire, the Israeli government has said its military operations in Gaza would pave the way for further hostage releases. Officials have argued that any Israeli military success puts Hamas under more pressure to negotiate a new exchange, and makes the military better able to rescue remaining prisoners by force.

But dozens of survivors and families of the hostages have said the military campaign is endangering the lives of their loved ones. They want the government to make it a priority to reach a new hostage deal, rather than continuing with the invasion for fear of their relatives being killed in crossfire. Only one hostage has been released by an Israeli military rescue operation. At least three were accidentally killed by Israeli soldiers.

Asked for comment, the Israeli military said in a statement that it was “using all available resources to locate and retrieve as much information as possible regarding the hostages currently held by Hamas.”