The Israeli government confirmed today that some 137 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip, while 110 kidnapped people have been released during the seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which broke Friday morning.
The detainees still include Hamas and other armed groups inside the enclave: 115 men, 20 women and two children, according to updated data from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Of these, 10 are elderly people over the age of 75.
After the ceasefire was broken, the spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office assured: “Now Hamas will receive the mother of all blows” and blamed the group for the resumption of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and refused to accept more hostages to release.
“Unfortunately, Hamas has decided to close the gap by not releasing all the kidnapped women. Now that Hamas has decided to keep our women, it will suffer the biggest blow of all,” the spokesperson said. Eylon Levy.
The two children who remain abducted are brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibás, aged 4 years or 10 months, with their parents, Shiri Silverman Bibas of Argentine descent and her husband Yarden Bibas. Two days ago, Hamas issued a press release claiming that Shiri and her two children were killed in Israeli bombings, although the Israeli military said something it could not verify.
Yesterday, the group released a video of Argentinian-Israeli family man Yarden Bibas, in which he apparently appeals to the government-coerced Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate the release of all kidnapped people and why he could bury his family.
According to data released today by the Israeli government, there are still hostages in the Gaza Strip: 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners: 8 from Thailand, 1 from Nepal, 1 from Tanzania and one with French-Mexican citizenship.
It has been that way since the start of the war. A total of 110 prisoners have been released, 86 Israelis and 24 foreigners, the majority since November 24, when the first ceasefire came into effect, exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
In the seven days of the ceasefire, 105 hostages were transferred, 81 of them Israelis and 24 foreigners (23 Thais and one Filipino), but weeks earlier Hamas had already released four female hostages – an Israeli-American mother and daughter and two elderly Israeli women – and the Israeli army rescued a captured soldier as the ground assault began.
At least two hostages – a soldier and an elderly woman – also died in captivity and Israel has recovered their bodies, although there are unconfirmed reports that more hostages may be dead.
According to Israeli sources, around seven people are still missing after the Hamas attack on October 7, which killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 240.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, which expired today, Israel took in 240 Palestinian prisoners, 71 women and 169 teenagers during these seven days; all with terrorism charges, but no blood crimes.
The bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which resumed today, has caused an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 15,000 dead – more than 70% of them women, children and the elderly – in addition to some 7,000 bodies still buried under the rubble, according to reports. the Ministry. Strip Health estimates.
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
