One Year of Israel-Hamas War: Who Are the Hostages Freed, Killed, or Still in Gaza?
Israel estimates that 251 Israelis and other nationals were taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas assault. In the year since, some military operations have resulted in successful rescues, while others ended in tragedy.
As Israel marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating Hamas attacks today, families of hostages held in Gaza are appealing for global intervention.
“Do not forget us. Do not forget the hostages,” urged members of the family forum during a gathering on Sunday.
The group described the hostage crisis as a “global humanitarian crisis” and called on world leaders to pressure Hamas for the release of all captives.
“Each day that passes brings another day of unimaginable suffering for the hostages and their families,” said the families.
November Hostage Release Deal
In November 2023, after weeks of negotiations, Israel and Hamas reached a deal that resulted in the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. The agreement also included a temporary ceasefire. By the end of the extended truce, 108 hostages were freed, including women and children, before fighting resumed on December 1.
Among those released was 21-year-old Mia Schem, an Israeli-French citizen abducted from the Supernova festival. After her release, Schem, who had been shot in the arm, shared her harrowing experience of 54 days in captivity.
Another high-profile release was that of 9-year-old Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli girl who had gone missing from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Emily’s return brought immense relief to her father, who had initially been told that she was dead.
Daring Hostage Rescues
Israeli military operations in Gaza have successfully rescued several hostages over the past year. In February, an operation in Rafah freed Israeli-Argentinian citizens Fernando Marman and Louis Har after four months in captivity.
A daring rescue in Nuseirat in June freed four hostages—Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv—eight months after they were kidnapped from the Nova music festival. However, the operation also led to over 200 Palestinian casualties as “collateral damage.”
In August, Bedouin-Israeli hostage Farhan Al-Qadi was freed from Hamas’ tunnel network. Al-Qadi had been abducted from Kibbutz Magen during the October 7 attacks and was the first person rescued from Hamas’ vast tunnel system.
Hostages Killed
Not all rescue efforts have succeeded. In November 2023, the bodies of two hostages—19-year-old Noa Marciano and 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss—were found near Gaza City. Marciano, a soldier with the Israel Defense Forces, had been abducted from the Nahal Oz base, while Weiss was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri.
On December 16, 2023, during an operation in northern Gaza, three hostages who had managed to escape were accidentally shot dead by Israeli forces. The victims were Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, and Alon Shamriz.
Another hostage, 23-year-old German-Israeli woman Shani Louk, was confirmed dead months after her abduction. Louk had appeared in a video, one of the most horrifying images from the Hamas attacks, showing her being paraded on a truck, crushed under the boot of a terrorist.
On August 8, the Israeli army announced that the remains of six hostages—Avraham Mander, Alex Danzig, Yagev Buchstab, Chaim Perry, Yoram Metzger, and Nadav Popalvel—had been recovered from Gaza.
On September 1, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six more hostages from a tunnel near Rafah in southern Gaza: Carmel Gat, Eidan Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino. They had been held captive for nearly 11 months and were likely executed as Israeli forces closed in on their location.
Despite Israel’s rescue efforts, 97 hostages remain unaccounted for. Israel believes at least 33 of them are no longer alive.
One year after the Hamas attacks, a permanent resolution remains elusive. Many families continue to pray for the safe return of their loved ones, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure the release of all hostages and find a path to peace.
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