EXPLANER
Despite pressure to accept a deal that would see the release of the captives, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not budged.
It has been a year since the Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which 1,139 people were killed and around 250 captured and taken to the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 41,900 people in its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Here’s what you need to know about what happened to the captives taken to Israel:
What happened on October 7 last year?
Palestinian armed groups led by the armed wing of Hamas have attacked several areas in southern Israel.
Israeli officials said 251 people were captured, including women, men, children and the elderly.
Among them were 23 Thai nationals, one Nepalese national and one Filipino national who were working or studying in Israel.
Several had dual nationality. It is unclear how many captives have dual nationality. However, at least 15 of those released were from Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Ireland, the United States and South Africa.
The United States says 12 Americans have been captured and seven remain in captivity.
The prisoners were reportedly taken to different locations in the Gaza Strip by fighters from different Palestinian groups.
What happened to the captives?
Nearly half of the captives were released. Others are still in captivity and some are confirmed dead or feared.
- Israeli officials said 117 of them had been returned to Israel.
- Israeli and US officials say 101 people remain in Gaza.
- At least 33 bodies have been found by Israeli forces as of September 1, according to the Israeli government.
Who did Hamas free?
- Some of the captives were released unilaterally by Hamas from October 20 to 23, for “humanitarian reasons.”
- Among those released were: Natalie, 17, and Judith Tai Raanan, 59 (released October 20), as well as Yochevid Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79 (released October 23).
- One hundred and five captives were released in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Qatari government between November 24 and December 1. 81 Israelis, 23 Thai workers and one person from the Philippines.
In exchange, Israel released approximately 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, many of whom were minors and many others who had not been convicted of a crime.
In the first four days following the temporary ceasefire, Israel arrested more than 130 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Has Israel taken prisoners out of Gaza?
Eight people have been rescued alive from Gaza by Israeli forces, often during intense bombardments that kill dozens of Palestinians:
- On October 31, Israeli forces rescued a female soldier, Ori Megidish, 18, from northern Gaza.
- On February 12, two Argentine-Israeli men – Louis Har, 70, and Fernando Marman, 60 – were rescued in Rafah during a raid that reportedly killed 100 Palestinians.
- On June 8, Israeli soldiers killed more than 270 people and injured 700 others during a raid to rescue four captives from the Nuseirat refugee camp: Noa Argamani, 25; Andrei Kovlov, 27 years old; Shlomi Ziv, 40 years old; and Almog Meir on January 21.
- A man, Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, was found in southern Gaza on August 24 by Israeli soldiers.
Who is still captive and alive?
As of September 1, approximately 101 captives remained in Gaza, according to Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Among them, more than 30 people, according to Israeli authorities, are probably dead.
- On August 12, Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, confirmed that Hamas guards had killed one captive and seriously injured two female captives in separate incidents.
- On Monday, the Israeli group Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on X that officials had informed the family of Idan Shtivi, a 28-year-old captive man, of his death.
At least 33 bodies have been found, according to Israeli forces, including:
- Three captives who were killed by Israel on November 10 in an airstrike that Israel said targeted a tunnel where Hamas commander Ahmed Ghandour was operating. Authorities initially denied that Israel was responsible for the killings, but admitted it was “likely” last month.
- Three men who escaped from their captors and were killed by Israeli forces on December 15 in the Shujayea area of Gaza. The soldiers opened fire as the three men waved white flags and spoke in Hebrew to the soldiers.
- Six captives found dead in a tunnel complex in Rafah on September 1. Hamas said they were killed by Israeli bombs. Israel said they were shot by Hamas operatives.
What’s next?
Despite pressure from the families of the remaining prisoners to accept a Hamas-proposed ceasefire that would allow all to be released, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Hamas must release the captives before a ceasefire can be negotiated.
Netanyahu faced even greater pressure from the families as Israel widened its war by attacking Lebanon last week.
Some accuse Netanyahu of not prioritizing prisoners but instead focusing on starting wars with Israel’s neighbors for political gains.
A captive deal “is certainly no longer relevant when it comes to this government,” said Tel Aviv Tribune’s Stephanie Dekker.
Protests demanding the release of captives have taken place weekly in Israeli cities in recent months.
Hamas, meanwhile, has said it will not release the prisoners unless Israel agrees to and implements a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza.
