One year to Hamas’ attack on Israel: How many hostages remain in Gaza?

Monday (October 7) marks a year to Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel. Last year on that day, several fighters of the Palestinian militant group entered Israel, killed over 1,000 people and took hundreds of captives into the Gaza Strip.

Of the 251 Israelis and foreigners who were held as hostages, over 100 have been freed. Some are dead and the fate of 64 people remains unknown.

As families of hostages continue to await news of their loved ones, the suffering in Gaza has been unprecedented. Israel’s war with Hamas has killed 41,500 Palestinians and wounded 96,000 others in the narrow enclave.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defied calls for a ceasefire despite pressure from its biggest ally, the United States. For Hamas that rules Gaza, the hostages are significant bargaining chips for a truce with Israel in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Here’s what we know about the captives in Gaza.

Who is still being held?

Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, 117 have been freed, mostly women, children and foreign workers.

Most were released during a week-long truce in late November in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Nearly a year later, Israel believes 64 hostages still held in Gaza are alive.

The army has confirmed 70 others are dead, 33 of whose bodies are still in Gaza.

The military has repatriated the bodies of 37 hostages who either died in Gaza or were killed on October 7 and taken to the territory.

Of the 64 thought to be alive, 57 are Israelis, though some of them have more than one nationality. Another six are Thai nationals and one is Nepalese.

Fifty-two are men and 10 are women. Eleven are military personnel. Two are children.

The youngest hostage, Kfir, was just eight-and-a-half months old when he was kidnapped. The other is his brother Ariel, who was only four years old when he was taken to Gaza.

Hamas has said the two children are dead, but Israel has not confirmed this.

Uncertainty looms 

Since the truce ended on December 1, only seven other hostages have been freed alive, all during Israeli military operations.

With no proof of life, uncertainty remains over whether the 64 are still alive.

The armed wing of Hamas said on August 12 that its fighters had shot and killed an Israeli hostage and injured two others.

Hamas has announced on several occasions the deaths of hostages that have not been confirmed by Israel, leaving families in agonising limbo.

Hamas took bodies into Gaza

On October 7, Hamas militants took several dead back into Gaza with them, including 10 Israeli soldiers’ bodies.

At least 28 other hostages have died in the territory since the start of the war.

Three were killed in error by the Israeli army on December 15, 2023. They were Yotam Haim, 28, Samer El-Talalqa and Alon Shamriz, 26.

The Israeli army accuses Hamas of executing six others in August: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobonov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino.

They were found dead by soldiers in a tunnel in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Most hostages were taken from…

Most of the hostages were taken during the attack on the Nir Oz kibbutz and on the Nova music festival.

At Nir Oz kibbutz, of the at least 76 hostages taken on October 7, 40 were released alive. Another 20 are still in Gaza and believed to be alive. The remaining 16 are dead.

Only 17 people abducted from the festival are thought to be alive and still being held in Gaza.

Only nine of at least 43 hostages taken from Nova have been released, while 17 others have died.

Entire families kidnapped

On October 7, whole families were taken to Gaza. For them, the November 2023 truce brought relief but also the heartache of leaving loved ones behind.

French-Israeli children Eitan, Erez and Sahar were freed but their fathers Ohad Yahalomi and Ofer Kalderon are still being held.

With inputs from AFP