How Many Hostages Remain in Gaza?
The U.S. president has made the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas a central part of his efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Last night, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the “first phase” of his plan to end the fighting and secure the release of several hostages and prisoners in Gaza.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump thanked the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. He wrote: “This means that all hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line as the first steps toward a strong and lasting peace.”
Under the agreement, Hamas will release all 20 living hostages in the coming days in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli army will begin withdrawing from most areas of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”
Hamas separately confirmed that the agreement includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the entry of humanitarian aid, and a prisoner and hostage exchange.
During the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war, Hamas and other armed groups abducted around 250 people and took them to Gaza. Some had already been killed before being taken, and their bodies were later returned.
What You Need to Know About Those Still Held
Israel says that about 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza, along with the bodies of roughly 25 others. The details of their release remain unclear.
Trump’s ceasefire proposal, unveiled last week, called for the release of all hostages — both living and deceased — within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance of the plan.
However, since Israel approved the plan nine days ago, the timing of the release remains uncertain, according to reporting by The New York Times.
Hamas officials stated last month that returning the bodies of deceased captives would require retrieving them from burial sites — a process that would take time.
What Happened to the Other Hostages?
Many of those kidnapped on October 7 were released in prisoner exchanges during two separate ceasefires — one in the early months of the war, and another earlier this year.
At least eight other hostages were freed during Israeli military operations.
More than thirty hostages were killed while in captivity, according to a New York Times investigation. Four others reportedly died in Israeli airstrikes, according to Israeli officials and military findings.
The Israeli army previously acknowledged that three hostages were mistakenly shot dead by its own soldiers, who thought they were Palestinian fighters. The circumstances of other deaths remain unclear.
What Will Hamas Receive in Return?
Under Trump’s plan, once the hostages are freed, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,700 Gaza residents arrested after October 7, 2023.
The proposal also stipulates that:“For every Israeli hostage whose remains are returned, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.”
The exact timing of the Israeli hostages’ release remains uncertain, though some reports suggest it could take place on Saturday.
