EXPLAINER
Regardless of strain to conform to a deal that might see captives launched, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has not budged.
It has been a yr for the reason that Hamas-led assault on Israel wherein 1,139 individuals have been killed and about 250 captured and brought to the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed greater than 41,900 individuals in its genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Right here’s what to find out about what occurred to the captives taken from Israel:
What occurred on October 7 final yr?
Palestinian armed teams led by Hamas’s armed wing attacked a number of areas in southern Israel.
Israeli officers mentioned 251 individuals have been taken captive, together with girls, males, youngsters and the aged.
Amongst them have been 23 Thai nationals, one Nepali nationwide and one Filipino nationwide who have been working or learning in Israel.
A number of have been twin nationals. It’s unclear how most of the captives maintain twin citizenship. Nevertheless, at the least 15 of these launched have been from Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Eire, the US and South Africa.
The US says 12 Individuals have been taken captive and 7 are nonetheless in captivity.
The captives have been believed to have been taken to completely different areas within the Gaza Strip by fighters from completely different Palestinian teams.
What occurred to the captives?
Almost half the captives have been launched. Others are nonetheless in captivity with some confirmed or feared lifeless.
- Israeli officers mentioned 117 have been returned to Israel.
- Israeli and US officers say 101 individuals are nonetheless in Gaza.
- No less than 33 our bodies have been recovered by Israeli forces as of September 1, in keeping with the Israeli authorities.
Who did Hamas launch?
- A number of the captives have been unilaterally launched by Hamas from October 20 to October 23, primarily based on “humanitarian grounds”.
- These launched embrace: Natalie, 17, and Judith Tai Raanan, 59, (launched on October 20) in addition to Yochevid Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, (launched on October 23).
- 100 and 5 captives have been launched as a part of a prisoner change mediated by the Qatari authorities from November 24 to December 1. They have been 81 Israelis, 23 Thai employees and one individual from the Philippines.
In return, Israel freed about 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, a lot of whom have been minors and lots of extra who had not been convicted of against the law.
Inside the first 4 days of the momentary ceasefire, Israel arrested greater than 130 Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution and East Jerusalem.
Did Israel get any captives out of Gaza?
Eight individuals have been rescued alive from Gaza by Israeli forces, usually throughout heavy shelling that kills scores of Palestinians:
- On October 31, Israeli forces rescued a feminine soldier, 18-year-old Ori Megidish, from northern Gaza.
- On February 12, two Argentinian-Israeli males – Louis Har, 70, and Fernando Marman, 60 – have been rescued in Rafah in a raid that reportedly killed 100 Palestinians.
- On June 8, Israeli troopers killed greater than 270 individuals and injured 700 in a raid to rescue 4 captives from the Nuseirat refugee camp: Noa Argamani, 25; Andrey Kovlov, 27; Shlomi Ziv, 40; and Almog Meir Jan, 21.
- One man, Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, was present in southern Gaza on August 24 by Israeli troopers.
Who’s nonetheless captive and alive?
As of September 1, about 101 captives have been believed to nonetheless be in Gaza, in keeping with Israeli navy spokesman Daniel Hagari.
They embrace greater than 30 individuals Israeli officers mentioned are seemingly lifeless.
- On August 12, Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’s navy wing, the Qassam Brigades, confirmed that Hamas guards had killed a male captive and severely wounded two feminine captives in separate incidents.
- On Monday, the Israeli group Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board mentioned in an announcement on X that officers knowledgeable the household of Idan Shtivi, a 28-year-old male captive, of his dying.
No less than 33 our bodies have been recovered, in keeping with Israeli forces, together with:
- Three captives who have been killed by Israel on November 10 in an air raid that Israel mentioned focused a tunnel the place Hamas commander Ahmed Ghandour operated. Officers initially denied Israel was answerable for the killings however admitted that it was “seemingly” final month.
- Three males who had escaped their captors and have been killed by Israeli forces on December 15 within the Shujayea space of Gaza. The troopers opened fireplace despite the fact that the three males waved white flags and spoke in Hebrew to the troopers.
- Six captives who have been discovered lifeless in a tunnel advanced in Rafah on September 1. Hamas mentioned that they had been killed by Israeli bombs. Israel mentioned they have been shot by Hamas members.
What’s subsequent?
Regardless of strain from households of the remaining captives to simply accept a ceasefire Hamas proposed that might see all of them freed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting that Hamas should launch the captives earlier than any ceasefire will be negotiated.
Netanyahu has confronted much more strain from the households as Israel has widened its conflict by attacking Lebanon final week.
Some accuse Netanyahu of not prioritising the captives however focusing as a substitute on beginning wars with Israel’s neighbours for political acquire.
A captive deal “has actually fallen off the desk in terms of this authorities”, Al Jazeera’s Stephanie Dekker mentioned.
Demonstrations demanding the discharge of the captives have been held weekly in Israeli cities in current months.
Hamas, in the meantime, has maintained it is not going to launch the captives except Israel agrees to and implements an entire ceasefire in Gaza.
