At least eight of the 26 remaining Israeli hostages who were expected to be released in the first phase of the Hamas cease-fire deal are believed to be dead, according to reports.
The grim tally was gleaned from a list Hamas handed over Sunday night with the status of the remaining phase-one hostages who have yet to be freed – and Israeli officials said the troubling information matched what they suspected.
“The list from Hamas matches Israel’s intelligence, so I can share with you that,” Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said, adding that the eight hostages had been “killed by Hamas.”
“Families have been informed of the situation of their relatives,” he said without providing the names of the deceased, according to the BBC.
Hamas fighters flash the victory sign as displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israel’s decision to allow thousands of them to go back for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. AP
A relative of one family taken hostage — Shiri Bibas, her husband, Yarden, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir — told local media they had yet to receive any concrete information on their loved ones’ wellbeing. Facebook
Four female Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from a southern military base were freed Saturday as the cease-fire deal hostage swap continues to unfold. AP
After the cease-fire and ensuing hostage releases started Jan. 19, Israeli officials reportedly began cautioning family members that there were “grave concerns” for some of their loved ones’ lives.
A relative of one family taken hostage – Shiri and Yarden Bibas and their red-headed baby sons, Ariel and Kfir, who became symbols of Hamas’ brutality when they were all snatched Oct. 7, 2023 — told local media they had yet to receive any concrete information on their kin’s wellbeing.
“There is no difference between what we knew yesterday and what we know today,” Yarden’s sister Ofri Bibas said, according to the Times of Israel.
“We have known that there is grave fear for their lives since Hamas’ announcement at the end of the previous deal.”
Reports on whether the Bibas family is still alive have wavered throughout the war. Hamas initially claimed they were killed shortly after their captivity, but no proof was ever provided.
The family – including Kfir, who was just 9 months old when he was kidnapped and would be 2 years old now if still alive – was included on the initial list of the 33 hostages Hamas said it would be releasing in the first phase of the cease-fire deal.
But the logistics of the deal were thrown into confusion after four captive female Israel Defense Four Soldiers were let go Saturday – despite the deal saying combat hostages would be released in the second phase.
Hamas fighters secure an area in a square before handing over four Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on January 25, 2025. APAImages/Shutterstock
The soldiers, Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were all received by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, bringing the total released as part of the cease-fire deal so far to seven.
During the exchange, Hamas brought the four women onto a stage, where the hostages being freed smiled and waved as they were surrounded by cheering onlookers and a slew of gun-toting terrorists.
The next hostage release – which is set to free three people, including Agam Berger and Arbel Yehoud – is supposed to happen Thursday.
At least Yehoud is believed to be alive, after Hamas released a propaganda video Monday that showed her reassuring family that she is “OK” and will be released soon, the Times of Israel reported.
Yehoud was supposed to be among the hostages released over the weekend, and fears for her safety spread after the IDF soldiers were released instead.
Of the 251 hostages first snatched by Hamas, 87 remain in captivity, and 34 of them are believed to be dead.