A look at the hostages left in Gaza, by the numbers
Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages who were held in Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. But Hamas and Israel are now arguing over the release of the remains of the last 13 hostages. Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are buried under rubble left behind by Israel’s two-year offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel has accused the militants of dragging their feet and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all of the remains are not returned.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The ensuing war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, about half of whom were women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.
Here are details on the hostages:
Total hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: 4 (two who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
Living hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 160
Bodies of hostages released in deals: 23
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
Bodies of hostages still in captivity: 13
Non-Israeli hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza: 2 (1 Thai national and 1 Tanzanian)
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