A total of 125 hostages remain unaccounted for after being kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October last year – at least 37 of them are presumed dead. Israel reports that 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken during the attacks. Israel’s official number of hostages held in Gaza is 129, which includes four people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015, two of whom are believed to have died. The following are the stories of the hostages still being held, confirmed by the BBC or credible sources. This list is regularly updated as some people feared kidnapped are confirmed to have been killed or released. Last updated on 17 May 2024 at 17:03 BST. [BBC] Hamas took Omri away with his hands tied, as reported by his wife Lishay to the Guardian newspaper. She advised him not to resist and to comply with their demands in order to ensure his safe return.
Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old Nepalese student, was believed to have been taken from Kibbutz Alumim along with 48 other students studying agriculture in Israel. Sadly, 10 students lost their lives in the attack.
Ilan Weiss, 58, went missing from Kibbutz Be’eri while trying to defend the community. His wife Shiri Weiss and daughter Noga were eventually freed from captivity in a hostage exchange.
Amiram Cooper, 85, and his wife Nurit, 80, were taken from their home in Nir Oz. Their daughter-in-law Noa revealed that the couple were last in their safe room during the Hamas attack. Nurit was later released on 23 October.
Oded Lifshitz, 83, and his wife Yocheved, 85, were also taken hostage from Nir Oz. Yocheved was one of the two elderly women released on 23 October. Their daughter Sharone, an artist based in London, remains committed to securing the release of her father and others still held captive.
Haim Peri, 79, was kidnapped from Nir Oz and his wife Yocheved Lifshitz, a former hostage, confirmed that he was alive and well. His son Lior Peri disclosed that Haim had ensured his wife’s safety before surrendering to the kidnappers.
Avraham Munder, 78, was another victim of the kidnapping from Nir Oz. Fortunately, his wife Ruthi, daughter, and grandson have since been released.
Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old Israeli-American tank commander, delayed his plans to study in the US to serve in the IDF. He was taken by Hamas while on duty near Gaza, with his parents being informed by the Israeli embassy.
Alex Danzig, 75, a Holocaust scholar, was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz during the attack by Hamas. His son Mati confirmed his abduction and highlighted the global campaign for his release due to his work at Yad Vashem.
Itzhk Elgarat, 68, was taken at the same time as Alex Danzig, according to his brother Danny Elgert. Danny revealed that he had tracked his brother’s phone to the Gaza border.
Gadi Moses, 79, was another victim of the attack in Nir Oz. His partner, Efrat Katz, was initially thought to have been captured but was later found dead. Efrat was the mother of Doron Asher, who was eventually released along with her daughters.
Nimrod Cohen, 19, was studying software engineering in high school when he was kidnapped. His father was later invited to meet Pope Francis in Rome along with other families of the hostages.
Tsachi Idan, 51, was taken away by Hamas gunmen in Nahal Oz, where his family was ambushed. Their eldest child, Maayan, was tragically killed during the ordeal.
Yarden Bibas, 34, was abducted from Nir Oz along with his family. Hamas claimed they were killed in an Israeli air strike while in captivity, prompting an investigation by the Israeli government.
Ronen Engel, 54, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, with his wife and two daughters. Sadly, he was confirmed to have been murdered, while his family members were released.
Karina Ariev, a 19-year-old soldier, was serving near Gaza when she was kidnapped. Her sister Alexandra recounted hearing the attack over the phone and seeing video footage of Karina being taken away.
Ofer Kalderon, 53, was kidnapped from Nir Oz, and his children were eventually released. Two other relatives, Carmela Dan and her granddaughter Noya, were initially believed to have been taken but were later found dead.
Yoram Metzger, 80, a resident of Nir Oz, was released after his wife Tamar. He has diabetes and had previously broken his hip, adding to concerns for his well-being during captivity.
Nadav Popplewell, 51, and his mother Channah were taken hostage by Hamas. Channah was later released, while Ayelet Svatitzky, Channah’s daughter, expressed concern for their safety, as both have diabetes. Omri’s wife, Lishay Lavi, recounted witnessing his arrest along with three other hostages from Nahal Oz.
Meanwhile, Liri Elbag, 18, had recently started military training near the Gaza border when Hamas attacked. Her father, Eli, mentioned that he saw her in a video shared by Hamas, packed on a military truck seized by the gunmen.
[BBC]
Several individuals are believed to have been kidnapped from the Supernova music festival in southern Israel. Some of them include Shlomi Ziv, Alexander Lobanov, Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Omer Shem Tov, Idan Shtivi, Yosef Ohana, Andrei Kozlov, Noa Argamani, Eden Yerushalmi, Chanan Yablonka, Jonathan Samerano, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Maxim Kharkin, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Omer Wenkert, Evyatar David, Eitan Mor, and Alon Ohel.
Each of these individuals has a unique story and circumstances surrounding their abduction from the festival. Almog’s family claims to have watched a video where he is seen as a hostage. Inbar Heiman, a 21-year-old student, was witnessed being taken away by motorcycle at a festival by two Israeli men. Hamas released a brief video showing her. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old US-Israeli citizen, was severely injured in the attack, with eyewitnesses reporting him being forced onto a white pick-up truck towards Gaza. Segev Kalfon, 26, was captured by Hamas while trying to escape the festival. Orión Hernández Radoux, 30, from Mexico, attended the festival with his girlfriend, Shani Louk, whose body has been found. Romi Lesham Gonen, 23, was shot while trying to escape the Supernova festival, with her phone now in Gaza. Bar Kuperstein, 21, was identified in a video of Israeli prisoners posted by Hamas, with no further information available. Eliya Cohen, 26, was taken away by gunmen while hiding with his girlfriend Ziv, with a photo of him found in Gaza. Carmel Gat, 39, was seen being taken by gunmen from Kibbutz Be’eri and has not been heard from since. Ohad Yahalomi, 49, was abducted from Nir Oz along with his son Eitan, who was later released. Dror Or, 48, was seen being dragged out of his home along with his son and daughter, with his wife found among the deceased. Tal Shoham, 38, was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri, with his wife and mother-in-law later released by Hamas. Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, an American-Israeli citizen, has been missing since the attack on Nir Oz. Thailand’s ambassador to Israel confirmed that 31 citizens were taken hostage, with some still being held. Several hostages who were thought to be held have been confirmed dead, including Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Itzhak Gelerenter, Ron Benjamin, Sonthaya Oakkharasr, Sudthisak Rinthalak, Lior Rudaeff, Elyakim Libman, Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, Alon Shamriz, and Tamir Adar. Otros rehenes recientemente confirmados de haber muerto incluyen a Gadi Haggai, Ron Scherman, Nik Beizer, Tal Chaimi, un ciudadano israelí-rumano de 41 años, Joshua Mollel, un estudiante tanzano de 19 años, Eden Zecharya de 27 años y Ziv Dado de 36 años.
Otras fatalidades incluyen a Sahar Baruch, 25, Dror Kaplun, 68, Aviv Atzili, 49, Arye Zalmanovich, 85, Ronen Engel, 54, Maya Goren, 56, Guy Iluz, 26, Ofir Tzarfati, 27, Ofra Keider, 70 y Eliyahu Margalit, 75.
Los cuerpos de la soldado de 19 años, Noa Marciano, y de la mujer de 65 años, Yehudit Weiss, fueron encontrados por tropas israelíes en edificios cercanos al Hospital Al-Shifa en la Ciudad de Gaza.
En marzo, la familia de Uriel Baruch, 35, dijo que habían sido informados por las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (IDF) de que él fue asesinado el 7 de octubre en el ataque al festival de música Nova, y que su cuerpo estaba siendo retenido en Gaza. Estaba casado y tenía dos hijos.
Rehenes cuya muerte ha sido reportada, pero no confirmada, incluyen a Shiri Bibas, 32, y a sus dos hijos pequeños, Ariel y Kfir.
Investigación realizada por Jamie Ryan y Emma Pengelly
Más sobre la guerra Israel-Gaza
[BBC]
¿Estás personalmente afectado por los problemas planteados en esta historia? Si es seguro hacerlo, por favor ponte en contacto enviando un correo electrónico a [email protected].
Por favor incluye un número de contacto si estás dispuesto a hablar con un periodista de la BBC. También puedes ponerte en contacto de las siguientes maneras:
Si estás leyendo esta página y no puedes ver el formulario, deberás visitar la versión móvil del sitio web de la BBC para enviar tu pregunta o comentario, o puedes enviarnos un correo electrónico a [email protected]. Por favor incluye tu nombre, edad y ubicación con cualquier envío.