Around 250 people were kidnapped in the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas three months ago. 136 hostages are still said to be held – probably not all of them are still alive.
As the Gaza war enters its fourth month, Israel estimates that 136 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli government spokeswoman said 25 of them were probably no longer alive. Among the hostages, Israel also includes the bodies of two soldiers who were kidnapped during the last major Gaza war in 2014, as well as two other Israelis who have been held in the coastal strip since then.
250 people kidnapped
The Gaza war was triggered three months ago by a terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups. According to Israeli information, more than 1,200 people were killed. According to the latest information, around 250 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip.
Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the health authority controlled by the Islamist Hamas, more than 22,800 people have been killed and around 58,000 injured in the Gaza Strip since the war began.
Of the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip who were abducted on October 7, 113 were male and 19 female, the spokeswoman said. Among them are two children who are younger than five years old. There are 121 Israelis and eleven foreigners. Among them are eight Thais, a Nepalese, a Tanzanian and a French-Mexican citizen. There are said to be several Germans among the remaining hostages.
Released during ceasefire
A total of 105 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in late November as part of a deal between the Jerusalem government and Hamas. In exchange, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. During the week, 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners were released. These included 14 German-Israeli dual nationals.
Hamas had previously released four female hostages without compensation. An Israeli soldier was freed by her comrades. During the war, Israel was also reportedly able to recover the bodies of eight hostages killed by Hamas. A hostage was killed during an Israeli rescue attempt. Three more hostages were accidentally shot by the Israeli army. An Israeli is still missing after the attack on October 7th.
According to the military, 176 soldiers have been killed since the Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip began at the end of October. More than a thousand others were injured. Since October 7th, 510 soldiers have been killed.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
