What we know about the hostages still in Gaza

JERUSALEM: More than 16 months after they were seized by militants during Hamas' Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, uncertainty hangs over the fate of 24 people held in Gaza and presumed to be alive.

Negotiations for a potential second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal could secure their release as well as a permanent end to the war.

The first phase of the truce, which came into effect on Jan 19 and is due to expire on Saturday (Mar 1), saw 25 Israelis and dual nationals freed alive and eight bodies repatriated in return for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli custody.

Five Thai nationals were also released from Gaza outside the scope of the ceasefire agreement.

Here is what we know about the hostages still held in Gaza.

LITTLE PROOF OF LIFE

Israeli authorities believe that 24 out of 58 hostages held in the Gaza Strip are alive, but for most of them, there has been little proof of life.

Three of the four hostages whose bodies were repatriated this week had been presumed alive prior to the handover of their remains.

In a recent proof of life, a video released by Hamas on Saturday showed two hostages, Evyatar David, 24, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 23, watching the handover in Gaza of other captives set for release.

Edan Alexander, 21, and Matan Zangauker, 25, were seen in videos released between late November and early December.

Some hostages freed during the truce have shared with Israeli authorities information on more than a dozen captives they had seen alive.

ALL MEN

All remaining hostages presumed alive are men, and most of them are younger than 30.

Twenty-two are Israeli, of whom 10 have dual nationality. There are also two foreigners, Nepali student Bipin Joshi, 24, and Thai farm worker Natthapong Pinta, who was 35 at the time of his abduction.

Five of the Israelis are soldiers, including Tamir Nimrodi and Nimrod Cohen, who are both 20, making them the youngest hostages still in Gaza.

Israeli-Hungarian hostage Omri Miran, 47, is the oldest one.

Out of the 24 hostages believed to be alive, 11 were seized from the site of a music festival that came under attack on Oct 7, 2023.

34 BODIES

Out of the 251 hostages captured during the Hamas attack that triggered the war, at least 41 were dead when they were taken to Gaza, including 11 of the 25 soldiers taken hostage.

Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad still hold the bodies of 34 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

At least 25 of them were killed during the 2023 attack and their bodies taken by militants.

Others have died in captivity. Sahar Baruch, 25, was killed in late 2023 during a failed rescue operation by the Israeli military, and his body remains in Gaza.

NEARLY 150 FREED ALIVE

Out of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack that triggered the Gaza war, 145 have been freed alive. Forty-eight bodies have also been repatriated.

Most of the releases took place during the war's two ceasefires.

In November 2023, mostly women, children and foreigners were released. The current truce saw the remaining women freed as well as elderly people, hostages in poor health and others.

Eight hostages were freed by Israeli forces.