Hamas official says nobody knows how many hostages are still alive | First Thing

Hamas spokesperson says Israeli tanks have advanced on Rafah. Plus: Scotland's burgeoning seaweed industry

Good morning.

With the safe return of the hostages crucial to any deal for a ceasefire, a senior Hamas official has said that no one has an idea" how many of the 120 remaining hostages in Gaza are alive.

What is happening in Gaza? Israeli tanks advanced into the western part of Rafah on Thursday as the city came under intense helicopter, drone and artillery fire in what residents described as one of the worst bombardments of the area so far.

Are displaced Palestinians receiving aid? The UN's relief agency for Palestinians, the largest aid organisation operating in Gaza, has accused Israeli authorities of frequently preventing it from delivering aid.