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Israel says Hamas list shows 8 of the 26 hostages still to be freed in first phase of Gaza ceasefire are dead

By Agencies 27 January 2025, 4:26 pm 75 Edit
The 33 hostages who were returned in phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal: Row 1 (L-R): Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehoud, Doron Steinbrecher, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas; Row 2: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Danielle Gilboa, Naama Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, Gadi Moshe Mozes; Row 3: Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon, Eli Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mantzur, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz; Row 4: Tsahi Idan, Hisham al-Sayed, Yarden Bibas, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Sasha Troufanov; Row 5: Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Avera Mengistu, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov (all photos courtesy)
The 33 hostages who were returned in phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal: Row 1 (L-R): Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehoud, Doron Steinbrecher, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas; Row 2: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Danielle Gilboa, Naama Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, Gadi Moshe Mozes; Row 3: Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon, Eli Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mantzur, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz; Row 4: Tsahi Idan, Hisham al-Sayed, Yarden Bibas, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Sasha Troufanov; Row 5: Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Avera Mengistu, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov (all photos courtesy)

Israel says a Hamas list shows that eight of the 26 hostages still to be freed in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal are dead.

Government spokesman David Mencer conveys the Hamas information to journalists.

Thirty-three hostages are being freed in phase one of the deal. Seven living hostages have gone free since the deal began on January 19, and the Hamas list therefore means that 18 of the 26 remaining names on the list are alive while eight are dead.

Israel late last night said it had received a list of information on the status of the phase-one hostages from Hamas. Officials said that the Hamas document matched Israel’s existing information.

Israel has said the next release, of three hostages — including Arbel Yehoud and Agam Berger — will take place on Thursday, followed by another three hostages to be released on Saturday.

The 33 names on the list are women, the Bibas family children, men aged over 50, and unwell and injured men. The IDF said on Saturday that it had “grave concerns” regarding Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Ariel and Kfir.

Whether hostages are alive or dead inside Gaza has been a heartbreaking question for waiting families who have pushed Israel’s government to reach a deal to free them, fearing that time was running out.

Eighty-seven of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the body of an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014. The body of another IDF soldier, also killed in 2014, was recovered from Gaza this month.

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