Feature

Hamas took hundreds of hostages from Israel. Where are they now?

Israel says there are now 97 hostages remaining in Gaza, but dozens could be dead.

A group of protesters march through a street

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the region have repeatedly failed. Source: Getty / Middle East Images/ABACA/PA/Alamy

It has been a year since tensions along the Gaza Strip flared up after militant groups led by Hamas kidnapped at least 250 hostages from Israel on October 7.

Authorities estimate at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign aimed at recovering the hostages and destroying Hamas. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to health authorities in Gaza.

While 117 hostages have been released, the well-being of others is unknown.

The first hostages are freed

Two weeks after the war began Americans Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie were freed on 22 October after negotiations by US authorities and the Red Cross.

A couple of days later two elderly Israeli hostages were also released.

Several weeks passed until an agreement facilitated by Qatar led to both sides of the conflict agreeing to a temporary ceasefire.
A series of prisoner exchanges then took place, in which 105 hostages were freed, including 78 women and children, in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Shortly after the deal both Hamas and Israel claimed the other side was in violation of the ceasefire.

The short-lived truce came to an end on 1 December.

Efforts to rescue the hostages continue

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have carried out several operations in Gaza as it searches for hostages.

Gaza's health ministry says hundreds of civilians have died as a result of the raids.

Israel admitted to accidentally killing three hostages: Alon Shamriz, Yotam Haim and Samar Al-Talalka.
Three separate pictures of young men
Hostages Alon Shamriz, Samer Al-Talalka and Yotam Haim were mistakenly shot dead by Israeli troops. Credit: AP
So far eight hostages have been rescued alive by Israeli forces, and the bodies of around 30 hostages have also been recovered.

Kaid Farhan Elkadi was rescued after 326 days while the IDF were combing a network of tunnels.

In February, a nighttime raid in the southern city of Rafah freed Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har.

How many hostages remain?

Since October 7 Hamas says dozens of hostages have been killed in airstrikes and have admitted to executing at least seven themselves.

The exact number of hostages thought to have died in captivity is unknown but estimated to be at least 60.

Ninety-seven hostages remain unaccounted for, but the IDF believe at least 30 of them are dead.

The locations of the hostages and their captors is also unknown, with reports that more than 30 people were taken by Islamic jihadists.

And the death toll could rise with Hamas saying their tactics have changed, with those guarding the hostages ordered to kill them if Israel's military gets close.

Share
3 min read

Published

Updated

By Hannah Kwon, Cameron Carr
Source: SBS News


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world