International media outlets published a list of 34 hostages on Monday morning, that they said was given to them by Hamas which includes 22 elderly men, 10 women, and two young children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas. According to Israeli officials, it is the list that Israel presented to mediators last July with the demand that they be among the first freed. Hamas now claims it is willing to release all 34 hostages Israel demanded, though it has not said who among them was alive and what their condition was.
Hamas asserts that to verify the condition of the hostages, it requires a ceasefire of at least a week, to investigate their status. In contrast, Israel insists that Hamas must release some hostages as a "good faith" gesture before the ceasefire begins, allowing the terror group time to find out the condition of the others. Officials also denied that any confirmation from Hamas regarding the identity of hostages to be freed, has been received.
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Families of the hostage protest for the return of their loved ones
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
The publication of this list, one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office categorically denied its existence, appears to be another move by Hamas to pressure Israel in the negotiations. The list, as of now, identifies 34 hostages under consideration for release as part of a humanitarian exchange. Notably, it excludes male soldiers and many young hostages, along with those officially declared dead by Israel, including Judy Weinstein, Inbar Hyman, and Ofra Kedar.
As long as Israel does not agree to a full ceasefire, Hamas is expected to continue refusing to release the remaining 66 hostages not on the list, 34 of whom have been declared dead.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Sunday that Israel had not received any acknowledgment or response from Hamas regarding the hostages’ conditions. "Israel will continue to work tirelessly to bring home all of our hostages," they stated.
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The Hostage and Missing Persons Directorate, led by Gal Hirsch, updated the families of the hostages about the list published today in the media. "This is a 'humanitarian' list that Israel handed to mediators months ago, containing names of women, children, elderly over 50, sick, and wounded," the directorate stated. "Hamas has not responded to the status of those listed. Negotiations continue, and we are doing everything to bring back all hostages, both the living and the deceased." The directorate also urged the public and the media to act responsibly and avoid publishing names or rumors that could harm families or the effort to secure the hostages’ return.
The list, divided into four categories, includes a variety of hostages, some of whom are women, children, and elderly individuals. In the first category, there are seven women and children who are slated for release as part of the deal. These individuals are Roni Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; Arbel Yehoud, 29; Doron Steinbrecher, 31; Ariel Bibas, 5; Kfir Bibas, 1; and Shiri Silberman Bibas, 33.
The second category consists of five female soldiers who were kidnapped from the Nahal Oz outpost. These are Liri Albag, 19; Karina Ariev, 20; Agam Berger, 20; Daniela Gilboa, 20; and Naama Levy, 20.
The third category lists eleven men aged 50 to 85. They are Ohad Ben-Ami, 55; Gad Moshe Moses, 80; Keith Shmuel Siegel, 65; Ofer Kalderon, 53; Eliyahu Sharabi, 52; Itzhak Elgaret, 69; Shlomo Mansur, 86; Ohad Yahalomi, 50; Yousef Yousef Alziadna, 54; Oded Lifshitz, 84; and Tsachi Idan, 50.
Finally, the fourth category includes eleven additional hostages. They are Hesham El Said, 36; Yarden Bibas, 35; Sagi Dekel Chen, 36; Lair Horn, 46; Omer Wenkert, 23; Alexandre Troufanov, 28; Eli-Ya Cohen, 27; Or Levy, 34; Avera Mengistu, 38; Tal Shoham, 39; and Omer Shem Tov, 21.