As the Gaza War persists, the hostage crisis continues, with 137 individuals still held by Hamas. Despite the return of some kidnapped Israelis during a temporary truce, the well-being of the remaining hostages, held since their kidnapping, remains uncertain. The Red Cross has not visited them, and many captives, known to be seriously injured at the time of abduction, are still in Gaza.
Out of the 137 hostages, 126 are Israeli citizens, and 11 are foreign nationals. Despite Hamas attempting to present itself as humanitarian with a propaganda campaign surrounding hostage releases, the reality is stark. Even the youngest Israeli hostages, Kir Bas (10 months old) and Ariel Bias (4 years old), are still held by Hamas terrorists. Despite claims by Hamas that the Bibas family was killed, this has not been verified by Israel.
Among the remaining hostages, 10 are older than 75, 117 are men, and 20 are women. These hostages are civilians, not combatants, and include individuals like Rigonan, a young woman kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival, and No Al Gamani, who pleaded for her life in a widely shared video after being kidnapped on October 7th. Despite the resumption of war, Israeli officials and the IDF emphasize that the safe return of all hostages remains a top priority.
