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How many hostages are still in Gaza and who has been released?

How many hostages are still in Gaza and who has been released?

Yahoo30-01-2025
On October 7 2023, Hamas terrorists flooded across the border into southern Israel, killing close to 1,200 people and dragging 251 hostages back to Gaza.
Now, more than 15 months on, Israel believes 87 hostages are still being held, 53 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Families have been separated from babies, grandparents, mothers, brothers and friends.
As part of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that came into effect on Jan 19, Hamas has promised to release the hostages in stages in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Three female hostages, Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were released on day one of the truce.
On Saturday, day seven of the ceasefire, Hamas released Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and Liri Albag, 19.
By the 42nd day, 33 hostages – consisting of the young, the old, the sick and the wounded – should be released under the terms of the agreement.
Here, The Telegraph tracks who has been freed, who has died in captivity, whose abducted bodies are still being held and who remains alive.
She was shot in the hand and dragged out from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct 7. She was one of the first three hostages released on Jan 19 2025 after 471 days in captivity, as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Ambushed by Hamas terrorists as she tried to escape the Supernova music festival. She had travelled from her home in Kfar Vradim, northern Israel, to attend. She was released on Jan 19 – day one of the ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Abducted from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in her last voice message to her family she was heard screaming: 'They've caught me!' She was the third hostage released on Jan 19.
A soldier who served at the Nahal Oz military base when she was kidnapped. She was able to speak to her family twice just moments before being abducted. Hamas released a video of her alongside other female IDF soldiers in January 2024. She was released on January 25.
One of five female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. They were all abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on Oct 7. Ms Gilboa has appeared in several videos released by Hamas. In the last one, published in July, she says to the camera: 'I don't know when or if I'll ever return home.' She was released on January 25.
One of five female IDF soldiers captured from the Nahal Oz military base. Footage of her being dragged into the back of a jeep wearing bloodied sweatpants became one of the first viral videos of the war. She was released on January 25.
Had only just begun her role as an IDF observer soldier when she was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base. She was shown in Hamas propaganda footage in early January 2025. She was released on January 25.
Kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct 7. Hamas filmed her bleeding as she was pushed into a truck to be taken to Gaza. She has a twin sister who serves in the Israeli military. She was released from captivity on January 30.
The German-Israeli citizen was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz. She is the girlfriend of Ariel Cunio, another hostage. She was released on January 30 with another seven hostages.
A grandfather and farming expert, Mr Moses was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was last seen outside his home as terrorists demanded money and his car keys. Efra Katz, his partner, was killed during the attack. He was released on January 30.
A Thai agricultural worker who was reported to have been taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz as Hamas militants swarmed the area. He was released on January 30.
A Thai national, he was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he had reportedly worked for four years. He was released on January 30.
A Thai farmworker taken by Hamas on October 7. His father has said he prays for his son's safety every night and that he has a teenage daughter. He was released on January 30.
A Thai agricultural worker who was abducted and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attacks. He was released on January 30.
A Thai national, he was working as a labourer in southern Israel where he is believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas during the attacks. His mother said she still 'has hope' of seeing him again. He was released on January 30.
Abducted by Hamas in 2015 after crossing into Gaza voluntarily. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia before his abduction. Hamas released footage of him in hospital in 2022, with Mr al-Sayed shown lying in bed wearing an oxygen mask.
Has been held hostage for over 10 years after crossing into Gaza through a barbed wire fence. Mr Mengistu was born in Ethiopia and was twice admitted to a psychiatric hospital before his capture.
Was working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival during the Hamas massacre. Survivors have said he stayed behind to care for the wounded until he was taken hostage. Photos of him tied up on the ground circulated on social media after the attack.
Abducted while working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival. His father is the co-founder of the Tikva Forum, a hostage family organisation that opposes the ceasefire deal and argues Hamas should be defeated through military force.
One of three hostages holding US citizenship who are believed to still be alive. Born in Tel Aviv, he grew-up in New Jersey and volunteered to serve in the Israeli military after graduating from secondary school. He was captured on Oct 7 while serving near the Gaza border. In December, he appeared in a Hamas proof-of-life video calling on then-US president-elect Donald Trump to free him.
An IDF soldier, he was on duty at the Nahal Oz military base when he was captured and taken to Gaza.
The oldest hostage held by Hamas. Born in Iraq, as a child he survived the 1941 Farhud massacre in Baghdad, where a mob killed over 100 Jews in a Nazi-inspired pogrom. He manages a chicken coop at his home in Kibbutz Kissufim.
Was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri after being shot by Hamas gunmen. His wife was also kidnapped and later released by Hamas. The father-of-three sent a last message before he was taken that read: 'Shema Yisrael [a Jewish prayer], they're here.'
The twin Berman brothers were taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct 7. Released hostages said that Hamas is holding them separately.
The Bibas family was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and has become a symbol of the attacks. Kfir Bibas was nine months old when he was taken and is the youngest hostage in captivity. Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Kfir, his five-year-old brother Ariel and mother Shiri Bibas had been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military has not verified the claim.
Planned to open an ice cream shop in Tel Aviv before he was captured by Hamas at the Supernova music festival. He spoke to his wife and mother during the attack, telling them he was helping to evacuate the wounded. They saw him hours later in a Hamas video, tied up on the floor with a bloodied face.
Taken captive while working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival. He has not been heard from since. He was reported to be one of several security guards who tried to help and save others during the attack.
Was shot in the leg by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival before being dragged to Gaza. He had been attending the event with his partner Ziv, who managed to escape by hiding under dead bodies for six hours.
An IDF soldier, he was the only survivor from the crew of a tank attacked by Hamas during the opening hours of the Oct 7 assault. He was kidnapped after the vehicle suffered a mechanical malfunction.
Ariel was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz with his girlfriend Arbel Yehud, who is still being held hostage. A message he sent during the attack read: 'We are in a horror film.' His brother David was kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his wife, Sharon Aloni Cunio, and his three-year-old twin daughters. They were released on Nov 27 2023.
Abducted from the Supernova music festival on Oct 7. One of David's friends was killed during the attack. His family woke up to a text from him that morning that said the party was being closed because 'they are bombarding the party'. After frantically searching social media for signs he was alive, they received a message saying he had been identified in a Hamas photo.
An American-Israeli, he was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct 7. He is the father of three children and has not met his youngest daughter, who was born two months after he was kidnapped.
Kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of Oct 7. He was shot and injured in his home before being taken hostage. He called his brother from his safe room and said: 'This is the end.' Mr Elgarat holds Danish citizenship and has two children.
Was kidnapped as he attempted to escape the Supernova music festival massacre. He had travelled to the event with three friends and met his brother there. Within hours of the attack, his family found footage online of him and his friend tied up, lying in a tunnel.
Kidnapped from the Supernova music festival, he has a three-year-old daughter and is the primary caregiver for his mother and 11-year-old brother. He has not been seen or heard from since the attack.
The Horn brothers, both dual Argentinian-Israeli citizens, were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz as Hamas swarmed through the area during the Oct 7 attacks. Eitan Horn had come from his home in Kfar Saba to visit his older brother for the weekend.
Was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz when terrorists broke into his home and shot dead his 18-year-old daughter. Hamas published a video showing him alive in April 2024.
A Nepalese agriculture student, he was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. He was later seen in footage taken in Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital on the day of the attack.
One of two French-Israelis set to be freed by Hamas under the truce. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his two children, 12-year-old Erez and 16-year-old Sahar, who were both released in November 2023.
Was abducted while trying to escape across a highway from the Supernova music festival massacre. He had worked in his family's bakery for years, but had dreams of a career in finance.
Had gone to the Supernova music festival on Oct 7 with his wife Eynav. The couple had only been there minutes when Hamas terrorists began opening fire. He was taken hostage, but his wife was killed.
One of the oldest Israeli hostages held in Gaza. A retired journalist and peace campaigner, he was shot in the hand and abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. His wife, Yocheved, was taken hostage but freed in October 2023.
Was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near to the military base where five female soldiers were captured. His wife said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. He appeared in a Hamas proof-of-life video in April 2024.
A soldier who was serving at the Erez crossing on the Gaza border when he was taken prisoner. Israeli media said he and two other soldiers were seen being walked out of their base in shorts and T-shirts by Hamas gunmen.
Taken hostage during the Supernova music festival massacre. He helped paramedics transfer wounded people before he was abducted.
A Serbian citizen and keen pianist, he was kidnapped during the attack on the Supernova music festival. His mother said he has not been seen seen or heard from since.
Abducted with his partner Noa Argamani from the Supernova music festival. Ms Argamani was rescued from central Gaza in June 2024 by the Israeli military. She said the pair had been held separately and she has been fighting for his liberation since her return to Israel.
A Thai farmworker, he was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Known as 'Nick' on his Facebook account, he was reportedly saving up to help his wife open a coffee shop.
A US citizen, he was driven to Gaza in his own car after being taken hostage with his wife Aviva Siegel in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Mrs Siegel was released in November 2023.
Taken hostage at Kibbutz Be'eri after Hamas gunmen killed his wife Leanne Sharabi and daughters Noiya and Yahel. Yossi Sharabi, his brother, was also abducted, although he is thought to have been killed in an IDF air strike on Gaza.
Taken hostage by Hamas gunmen as they swarmed the Supernova music festival on October 7. He called his family multiple times before being taken to Gaza, sounding 'more panicked, from call to call', his father said. The family eventually recognised Mr Shem-Tov via his tattoos in a Hamas video posted on Telegram.
Captured from Kibbutz Be'eri along with his wife, son, daughter and three other extended family members. Aside from Mr Shoham, all of them were released under the November 2023 truce.
Holds Israeli, Ukrainian and Russian citizenship. He was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz with his parents, grandmother and girlfriend. His father was killed in captivity but his girlfriend, mother and grandmother were released in November 2023. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based terror group, is reported to be holding him and has released four videos showing him alive.
Captured during the Supernova music festival. He was later filmed by Hamas tied up on the flatbed of a white pick-up truck. He suffers from an autoimmune disease, and his family fears his captors are not giving him the medication he needs.
Put his family in their safe room when he learnt that terrorists were approaching Kibbutz Nir Oz. He defended them with a pistol and was shot before being abducted. His wife was able to escape with two of his children, but 12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi, his son, was kidnapped and later released under the November 2023 truce. Holds French citizenship.
Kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He appeared in a 'proof of life' video released by Hamas in December, after which his mother made an emotional appeal to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to negotiate a deal that would ensure the captives' return.
An Israeli army officer who was taken prisoner during the 2014 Gaza war. The circumstances of his death are unclear, but Hamas still holds his body.
Went out to defend his home after hundreds of terrorists infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was killed during the attack and his body taken to Gaza. His wife and two young children survived.
A Bedouin Arab serving as a tracker in the Israeli military. He was killed in a battle with Hamas fighters in the Nahal Oz area before his body was taken to Gaza.
Killed by Hamas during its assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz. His body was taken to Gaza. The kibbutz said he was a 'great pillar' of the community, and described him as a 'painter, cyclist, lover of the land'.
Taken hostage from the Be'eri kibbutz. He was killed during a failed Israeli military attempt to rescue hostages in December 2023. His body remains in Gaza.
Abducted from the Supernova festival, he was later killed in captivity. He was father of two and was described as being a 'joyful person who loved life, worked in construction and loved techno music'.
A US-Israeli citizen who serving in the IDF when he was killed fighting Hamas near the Gaza border on Oct 7. His family has chosen not to sit shiva, the traditional Jewish mourning period, until his body is returned from Gaza for burial.
An economist, poet and composer. In the 1950s, Mr Cooper and his wife helped found the Nir Oz kibbutz, from where they were both abducted by Hamas. The Israeli military confirmed his death in captivity in November 2023. His wife, Nurit Cooper, was released on Oct 23 2023.
Kidnapped along with his wife and two daughters from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The IDF confirmed in December 2023 that he had died in captivity. His family had been released under the November truce deal. He was described as a photographer and motorcycle enthusiast who was 'always smiling'.
Killed in Kibbutz Be'eri during the Oct 7 attacks. His wife made a call saying he had been killed before she was murdered. His body is being held in Gaza.
The police officer was injured and waiting for an operation on Oct 7. He left hospital to defend Kibbutz Alumim. He texted friends to tell them he had been shot twice in the leg before being killed. His body was taken to Gaza.
He was out for a morning walk with his wife, Judith Weinstein Haggai, when the Oct 7 attacks began. The pair were reportedly shot and Mrs Haggai fatally wounded. Kibbutz Nir Oz announced in December 2023 Mr Haggai had died in captivity.
Killed by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. He was part of the kibbutz's rapid response team and helped defend it during the attacks. His widow, Ella Chaimi, gave birth to his fourth daughter seven months after his death.
A student who was volunteering at the Supernova festival when she was kidnapped. She was later killed in captivity. She had been shown in a video bloodied and beaten, before being hauled off by four men.
Wounded and then kidnapped during the Supernova festival. Hostages freed in the November 2023 truce said he had died of his injuries in captivity. He had been a sound technician for some of Israel's leading musicians.
Kidnapped by Hamas while she was taking a morning walk in the Be'eri kibbutz. Her husband, Sami Keidar, was killed in the safe room of their house. Her death was confirmed by the Israeli military in December 2023.
A soldier killed during the Oct 7 attacks. He was a top volleyball player and spent several years playing for a team from an Arab village as the only Jew. He was said to have strongly believed that Muslims and Jews could live together peacefully.
A taxi driver who was taking a customer from central Israel to Kibbutz Be'eri when the Hamas attack began. He was killed and a video later showed his body being kicked and stamped on by a cheering crowd on a Gaza street.
An agricultural intern from Tanzania, he is believed to have been killed immediately afer being kidnapped by Hamas on Oct 7. He worked at the Nahal Oz dairy farm and had plans to open an agricultural business back home.
A cattle-breeder kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His family said he left home early that morning to feed his horses. The Israeli military confirmed his death in Hamas captivity in December 2023.
An American-Israeli who was serving in the IDF when he was killed on Oct 7. Initially believed to have been captured alive, the IDF said in December that he had been killed during the Hamas onslaught.
A Thai national who worked on a farm near Kibbutz Be'eri. Israel confirmed he had been killed on Oct 7 in May, 2024 and his body taken to Gaza.
A chef and cheesemaker at the Kibbutz Be'eri dairy. Initially believed to be being held in Gaza, his kibbutz said in May 2024 he had been killed by Hamas during the attacks. He was taken hostage with his two children, Noam, 17, and Alma, 13, who were released in November 2023.
Killed by Hamas on Oct 7 while serving in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade. His body was taken to Gaza.
A captain in the IDF and originally from South Africa. He was killed and his body adbucted during the Oct 7 attacks.
A Thai labourer who was killed alongside Sonthaya Oakkharasri, whose body is also believed to be held by Hamas.
An ambulance driver and volunteer medic. He was presumed to be a hostage until the IDF confirmed in May 2024 he had been killed fighting Hamas gunmen in the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak.
A DJ who attended the Supernova festival and was later confirmed killed. His mother has said he was taken to Gaza by a man who was working for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Taken from Kibbutz Be'eri on Oct 7. An IDF investigation found he was likely accidentally killed by an Israeli strike on Gaza in January 2024.
The Israeli-American-Canadian was fatally wounded during a Hamas assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz and later died in captivity. She is the wife of Gad Haggai, whose body is also being held by Hamas.
Killed during the Kibbutz Be'eri massacre. He was part of the kibbutz security team and died while fighting the terrorists. His wife Shiri, 53, and daughter Noga, 18, were taken hostage and released in November 2023. His family said 'none of us can recover' until his body is returned for a proper burial.
He was killed during the Hamas assault on the Nir Oz kibbutz. His wife and two sons were taken captive and freed in November 2023. He was described as being a 'family man with a huge heart, always willing to help everyone'.
Abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a video showed him being driven to Gaza on the back of a motorbike. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him lying on a bed looking very ill. The terror group later said he died of a heart attack after reports had had no medicine for 40 days.
Killed at the Supernova festival, where he was volunteering as a photographer. He was believed to have been taken captive until his death was announced a year later.
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