Israel-Hamas war: Everything about 135 hostages held in Gaza
It has been over two months since the war between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas broke out, but there are still 135 hostages who reportedly remain in captivity inside the Gaza Strip. As per Israeli authorities, 110 hostages have been released, with 105 of them traded for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons during a week-long truce. Separately, Israel has repatriated five bodies. Among the 135 hostages still held by Hamas, only 118 are believed to be alive.
Why does this story matter?
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and capturing over 240 people as hostages. Led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel retaliated by launching a counter-offensive. More than 18,600 civilians in Gaza have been killed in strikes by the Israeli military. Late on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it attacked three key Hamas sites—Jabalia, Shuja'iyya, and Khan Yunis. In a post on X, it said it neutralized several Hamas terrorists and obliterated weapon storage facilities.
Only 118 of 135 Israeli hostages alive
Besides the 118 hostages that are still alive, Hamas is also holding the bodies of eight people who died in its captivity. In addition, it is also holding the corpses of nine Israeli residents who were killed during the Supernova music festival on October 7. The 118 individuals who are alive comprise 107 Israelis or dual nationals, eight Thais, one Nepali, one Tanzanian, and one French-Mexican.
Youngest hostage is just 10 months old
The youngest among the hostages is 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, who was captured alongside his 32-year-old mother Shiri Bibas and four-year-old brother Ariel. The family was taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The existence of Kfir remains doubtful after Hamas claimed that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza. However, Israelis claim that he has been kept in Khan Younis. At present, no other child hostages are known to be in Gaza, barring the Bibaz brothers.
16 women, over 100 men remain in captivity
At least 16 women are still held captive by Hamas, with the oldest being 70-year-old Judith Weinstein Haggai. Five women aged 18-19 were serving in the military when they were kidnapped and not included in the prisoner exchange. Additionally, at least 100 men remain captive, some of whom were on military duty during the October 7 attack. Some of these men are fathers of children who were freed alongside their mothers, relatives, or other families in the past week.
Israeli civilians start 'Bring them home now' campaign
Meanwhile, Israelis have come together to start an online campaign that pushes for the immediate release of all the hostages. Many celebrities, including Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, singer Anna Zak, and actor Doron Ben David, have joined the civilian-run "Bring Them Home Now" campaign. "There are 138 people from close to 30 countries still being held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Time is running out for them," the campaign stated.
Over half of Gaza residents now living in Rafah governate
Almost half of the 2.3 million population of Gaza has now moved to the Rafah governate. As per Al Jazeera, nearly 1.9 million people—85 percent of the population in Gaza—have been internally displaced since the war started. Israel's Social Equity Minister Amichai Chikli remarked that he doesn't rule out the possibility of Jewish settlements in Gaza in areas where "it makes sense." Notably, there are nearly 7,00,000 "illegal" Israeli settlers in the disputed territory of the West Bank.
