Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 7 October 2023, as part of the Hamas-led attack on Israel at the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups abducted 252 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip,[1][2][3][4][5][6] including children,[7][8][9][10][11] women, and elderly people.[12] In addition to hostages with only Israeli citizenship, almost half of the hostages are foreign nationals or have multiple citizenships.[13] Some hostages were Negev Bedouins.[14] The precise ratio of soldiers and civilians among the captives is unknown. The captives are likely being held in different locations in the Gaza Strip.[15]
As of 14 February 2024, 112 hostages had been returned alive to Israel, with 105 being released in a prisoner exchange deal, four released by Hamas unilaterally and three rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[16][17][18][19][20][21] Twelve bodies of hostages were repatriated to Israel, with three of the hostages killed by friendly fire from the IDF[22] and the bodies of nine hostages repatriated through military operations.[23][24] 50 hostages were reportedly killed on October 7 or in Hamas captivity according to Israel.[25][26][27][28][29] According to unconfirmed Israeli intelligence, at least 20 additional hostages may be deceased, with their bodies being held captive in Gaza.[30] As of 3 May 2024, 132 hostages remained in captivity in the Gaza Strip, 128 of whom had been abducted on 7 October 2023; the other four hostages having been captured earlier.[26]
Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing all Palestinian prisoners.[31] By October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinians (including 170 juveniles) in its prisons. Hamas stated its objective was to secure their release.[32] Several countries have been involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar taking the lead.[33]
On 22 November 2023, Israel and Hamas agreed to the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four-day cease-fire in exchange for Hamas's release of approximately 50 of the hostages. The exchange involved hostages from the categories of women and children.[34][35][36] As of 30 November 2023, the last day of the ceasefire, 105 civilian hostages had been released, which included 81 people from Israel, 23 Thais and one Filipino.[37] On 12 February 2024, two Argentinian-Israeli civilians were rescued in Operation Golden Hand. As of March 2024, according to Israeli information, Hamas holds 94 hostages believed to be alive and 38 bodies.[25]