Israel has announced that eight of the 26 hostages scheduled to be released by Hamas during the initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement have been confirmed dead.
Government spokesperson David Mencer stated that a list provided by Hamas matched Israeli intelligence, confirming the deaths. “The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives,” Mencer said without naming the victims.
Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released seven women in exchange for more than 290 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that Hamas had agreed to release three more hostages on Thursday, including female civilian Arbel Yehud and female soldier Agam Berger. Three additional hostages are expected to be freed on Saturday.
The hostage crisis stems from Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 individuals. Since the Israeli military launched its counteroffensive, more than 47,310 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel reports that 87 hostages remain in captivity, 34 of whom are presumed dead.
The situation has left families of the hostages in anguish. Michael Levy, whose brother Or was abducted from the Nova music festival after his wife was killed, described waiting for news as “a nightmare.” He expressed concerns that Hamas could delay Or’s release and emphasized the importance of continued pressure to ensure the hostages’ return.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military remains “extremely concerned” about the fate of three hostages, Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel. Hamas previously claimed they were killed in an airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed their deaths and insists they are included among the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase.
Negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, which will aim to secure the release of remaining hostages in exchange for further prisoner releases, an Israeli troop withdrawal, and calm, are set to begin on February 4. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has demanded the Israeli government ensure the return of all captives, declaring, “Our nation needs everyone at home, together. Until the last hostage.”
Released hostages have described harrowing conditions, with some held alone in underground tunnels for months. According to Col Dr. Avi Banov of the Israeli military’s medical corps, their treatment reportedly improved in the days before their release, when they were given better food and allowed to shower and change clothes.
