Hamas has informed Israel that eight of the 26 Israeli hostages scheduled for release in the first phase of the ceasefire have died, according to a Middle Eastern official. This appears to be the first time the militant group has directly confirmed the number of hostages who are either alive or dead. Later, an Israeli government spokesperson said these numbers matched information from Israeli intelligence.
Earlier this month, the first three Israeli hostages—Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, a dual British citizen—were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian detainees, mostly women and children. Then, four Israeli female soldiers were freed in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom had been sentenced to life for deadly attacks.
The ceasefire’s first phase, which runs until early March, includes the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second phase of the deal is still under negotiation.
The truce faced setbacks on Saturday after Israel blocked Palestinian civilians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire by not releasing one particular hostage, Arbel Yehoud. Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of breaking the agreement. However, on Monday, Qatar, which has been a key mediator in the peace talks, announced that Yehoud, along with two other hostages, would be released.
Three additional hostages are expected to be freed, and many in Israel are hoping that Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage still held in Gaza, will be among them.
Kfir was just shy of 9 months old when he was taken during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. His parents, Yarden and Shiri Bibas, and his older brother, Ariel, were also captured. Kfir turned 2 earlier this month, having never known a birthday outside captivity. While other child hostages were released in a brief ceasefire last November, the Bibas family remained in Gaza. On one of the final days of that ceasefire, Hamas claimed that Kfir, his mother, and his brother were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The October 7 attack resulted in around 250 hostages and 1,200 deaths. Since then, over 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to health officials in the enclave.
