One Nepali among 101 hostages still held by Hamas believed to be alive

Published On: February 12, 2024 07:45 PM NPT By: AFP/RSS

To date 112 hostages have been freed by Hamas

PARIS, Feb 12: Some 101 hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel are still believed to be alive in Gaza, according to an AFP count after the rescue of two more on Monday.

To date 112 hostages out of the initial group of 253 -- including some who were already dead when they were taken back to Gaza -- have been freed.

The October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel responded with a relentless offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 28,340 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the territory's health ministry on Monday.

In a seven-day truce in November a total of 105 hostages were exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Five hostages had been released earlier and on Monday the Israeli military announced that two more hostages were rescued in an overnight operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah: Fernando Simon Marman, aged 60, and 70-year-old Louis Har.

Those released to date include 33 children, 49 women and 30 men, mainly Thai farm workers.

The bodies of several other hostages who died in Gaza or were killed in the October 7 assault and then taken back to Gaza remain in the territory.

Israel has repatriated 11 bodies.

Israelis and foreigners

Of the 101 hostages believed to be still alive, according to AFP's count, 91 are Israelis or dual nationals, eight are Thai, one is Nepali, and one is French-Mexican.

AFP has managed to identify the remaining hostages, mainly through interviews with their relatives or via Israeli media.

Palestinian militants are also holding the bodies of 29 people, including at least 18 who died in the October 7 attacks and whose bodies were brought to Gaza.

Baby boy

Hamas claims the youngest hostage, 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, was killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza along with his mother Shiri Bibas, 32, and four-year-old brother Ariel.

Israel has yet to confirm the fate of the family, whose capture has come to symbolise the brutality of the hostage-taking operation.

Besides the Bibas boys, there are no child hostages known to be left in Gaza.

At least 14 women

At least 14 women are known to be still held in Gaza, aged from 18-39.

Five women aged 18-19 were performing their military service when they were kidnapped.

As soldiers, they were excluded from November's prisoner swap.

Fathers and grandfathers

At least 85 men are still being held, including some who were performing their military service at the time of the October 7 attack.

Some of them are in their seventies and eighties.

Some of the men are fathers of children who were freed with their mothers, relatives or other family members during the November truce.

Dozens of ravers

At least 32 people abducted during the Hamas massacre at the Supernova festival are still held hostage. Only five were released during the truce. Israel confirmed the deaths in Gaza of four other festival goers.

Of the others, at least 27 come from Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border.

About one in four of the kibbutz's residents was killed or kidnapped in the Hamas attack.