The resumption of heavy Israeli strikes in Gaza immediately questioned the status of the remaining hostages that take place there from Hamas and other groups – with less than half of the 59 left still considered alive, according to the Israeli government.
A recent analysis of the New York Times showed that at least 41 hostages had died during their captivity by Hamas and its allies. Of the 251 people seized and brought to Gaza during the attacks of 7 October 2023, 130 or more hostages were released. The Israeli army recovered the bodies of at least another 40.
In January, Israel and Hamas agreed on a multi -stadium truce that would allow the exchange of hostages captured by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners imprisoned by Israel.
The first phase of the ceased ended in early March. Hamas has released 30 Israeli and foreign hostages and has delivered eight bodies, in exchange for the Israeli release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Several hostages had already been saved or released before the two sides reached the agreement.
The fate of the ceased was not clear, even if, after Israel took heavy shots in Gaza Tuesday, citing Hamas’s repeated refusal to release the remaining hostages. At the beginning of this month, President Trump sent warnings to the Hamas militants to immediately free the remaining hostages to Gaza or face death.
Hamas accused Israel at the beginning of Tuesday to overturn the fire, “exposing the prisoners to Gaza to an unknown destiny”.