The Israeli government announced on January 27 that eight hostages held in Gaza, who were slated for release during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, have been confirmed dead.
David Mencer, spokesperson for the Israeli government, stated that the list provided by Hamas detailing the condition of hostages in Gaza revealed the deaths of these eight individuals. "Their families have been informed about their loved ones' fate," Mencer said, without disclosing the victims' identities.
Under the ceasefire agreement, 33 hostages in Gaza were set to be released in exchange for the freedom of over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Seven Israeli women hostages have already been returned home since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, while 290 Palestinian prisoners have been freed. This leaves only 18 of the remaining 26 hostages intended for release in phase one still alive.
Israel has announced that the next prisoner exchange is scheduled for January 30, during which three more hostages will be released. An additional three hostages are expected to return two days later. The number of Palestinian prisoners to be freed in these exchanges remains unclear.
The question of whether the hostages in Gaza are alive or dead has been a persistent source of anguish for their families, who have pressured the Israeli government to secure their release, fearing time is running out.
Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during the coordinated assault on Israel in October 2023, 87 remain in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) previously reported that 34 of these individuals were believed dead. It is not yet confirmed if the eight newly reported deaths are part of this group.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli citizens who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, along with the remains of an IDF soldier killed in 2014. Earlier this month, the body of another Israeli soldier killed that same year was repatriated from Gaza.
The Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is structured in three phases. The first phase lasts 42 days, with subsequent stages focusing on negotiating a permanent cessation of hostilities and the reconstruction of Gaza, including the return of deceased hostages' remains.
(Sources: AFP, Times of Israel)
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