When Hamas militants staged the worst-ever assault on Israel, they took again into the Gaza Strip 251 hostages, a few of them already lifeless. A 12 months later, 64 individuals, together with two youngsters, are nonetheless in captivity and Israel believes they’re alive.
For the Palestinian militant group that guidelines the Gaza Strip, the hostages are key bargaining chips to barter a truce with Israel and search the discharge of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Here’s what we all know concerning the hostages nonetheless held in Gaza.
52 males, 10 ladies, two youngsters
Of the 251 hostages seized by militants on October 7, 2023, 117 have been freed, most of them ladies, youngsters and international employees.
Most had been launched throughout a week-long truce in late November in trade for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Almost a 12 months later, Israel believes 64 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza are alive.
The military has confirmed 70 others are lifeless, 33 of whose our bodies are nonetheless in Gaza.
The navy has repatriated the our bodies of 37 hostages who both died in Gaza or had been killed on October 7 and brought to the territory.
Of the 64 considered alive, 57 are Israelis, although a few of them have a couple of nationality. One other six are Thai nationals and one is Nepalese.
Fifty-two are males and 10 are ladies. Eleven are navy personnel.
Two are youngsters.
The youngest hostage, Kfir, was simply eight-and-a-half months outdated when he was kidnapped. The opposite is his brother Ariel, who was solely 4 years outdated when he was taken to Gaza.
Hamas has mentioned the 2 youngsters are lifeless, however Israel has not confirmed this.
No proof of life
For the reason that truce ended on December 1, solely seven different hostages have been freed alive, all throughout Israeli navy operations.
With no proof of life, uncertainty stays over whether or not the 64 are nonetheless alive.
The armed wing of Hamas mentioned on August 12 that its fighters had shot and killed an Israeli hostage and injured two others.
Hamas has introduced on a number of events deaths of hostages that haven’t been confirmed by Israel, leaving households in agonising limbo.
Our bodies taken to Gaza
On October 7, Hamas militants took a number of lifeless again into Gaza with them, together with 10 Israeli troopers’ our bodies.
At the very least 28 different hostages have died within the territory for the reason that begin of the warfare.
Three had been killed in error by the Israeli military on December 15, 2023. They had been Yotam Haim, 28, Samer El-Talalqa and Alon Shamriz, 26.
The Israeli military accuses Hamas of executing six others in August: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobonov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino.
They had been discovered lifeless by troopers in a tunnel in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Competition, kibbutz survivors
A lot of the hostages had been taken through the assault on the Nir Oz kibbutz and on the Nova music competition.
At Nir Oz kibbutz, of the at the least 76 hostages taken on October 7, 40 had been launched alive. One other 20 are nonetheless in Gaza and believed to be alive. The remaining 16 are lifeless.
Solely 17 individuals kidnapped from the competition are considered alive and nonetheless being held in Gaza.
Solely 9 of at the least 43 hostages taken from Nova have been launched, whereas 17 others have died.
Entire households
On October 7, complete households had been taken to Gaza. For them, the November 2023 truce introduced aid but in addition the heartache of leaving family members behind.
French-Israeli youngsters Eitan, Erez and Sahar had been freed however their fathers Ohad Yahalomi and Ofer Kalderon are nonetheless being held.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)