News
Who Are the Israeli Hostages Released by Hamas?
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has released its last remaining living Israeli hostages in Gaza under the terms of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which involved the exchange of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Here is what is known about the 20 living hostages released on Monday, as well as those still held in Gaza who have since been declared dead:
The Nova Festival Hostages
Most of the hostages who were freed alive had been abducted from the site of the Nova Music Festival, near Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel.
Among them was 24-year-old Evyatar David, who appeared in a Hamas video in August looking frail and sitting beside what he said was “his own grave.” Also freed were pianist Alon Ohayel, 24, and Evinatan Or, 32. Or was seen in a widely circulated video being marched away by militants as his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, screamed for help and reached out to him. Argamani was rescued in June, and the couple reunited shortly after Or’s release.
Hostages Taken from Kibbutzim
Seven of those released had been seized from their homes in kibbutzim — small farming communities near the Gaza border.
They included twin siblings Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, and brothers Ariel Kunio, 28, and David Kunio, 35, who were kidnapped along with David’s wife Sharon and their two young daughters. Sharon and the girls were freed in November 2023 as part of an earlier deal.
Israeli Soldiers
Two Israeli soldiers — Matan Angrest, 22, and Nimrod Cohen, 20 — who were captured by Hamas fighters during the October 7 attacks, were also among those released on Monday.
Foreign Nationals
Of the 21 hostages still in Gaza, three were foreign nationals — a Tanzanian student and two Thai workers — all of whom have been declared dead in absentia. The body of Nepali student Bipin Joshi was handed over by Hamas on Monday.
Those Declared Dead
Israeli authorities have now declared all remaining hostages in Gaza dead, based on forensic evidence and intelligence reports.
Among the dead is an Israeli soldier killed during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. The others were among the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, assault, which triggered the war.
Some died during the initial abductions, others were killed by their captors, and several reportedly died in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
Hamas has said that recovering all the bodies will take time, as not all burial sites are known. An international task force has been established to help locate and identify the remains.