Israeli Officials Seeking Release of Remaining Hostages Held in Gaza
The Uncertainty of Hostage Fate Hampers Negotiations and Adds to Families’ Anguish
TEL AVIV — As Israel and Hamas try to hammer out the details of a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, Israeli officials are working towards securing the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. However, their efforts are hindered by the fact that they are uncertain of the hostages’ status — whether they are alive or not.
Israeli negotiators are becoming increasingly concerned as Hamas has failed to provide them with a list of the remaining hostages. This lack of information raises fears that the militant group has lost track of the hostages during the war or, even more troubling, that they are hesitant to reveal the number of casualties.
Currently, Israel estimates that 133 hostages, ranging from toddlers to the elderly, are still in captivity, with 36 of them confirmed dead. However, the fate of approximately 100 hostages, including both Israeli and foreign nationals, peace activists, and soldiers, remains unknown, causing prolonged anguish for their families even six months after the war commenced.
Jon Polin, the father of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, expressed the exponential pain felt by the families with each passing day. His son, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was abducted from an outdoor music festival on October 7 and appeared in gruesome footage posted by his captors, his arm blown off by a grenade. The family, despite the horrifying ordeal, clings to optimism out of necessity.
Since the initial attack, efforts to locate the hostages in Gaza have led Israeli forces to search hospitals, dig up gravesites, and scour Hamas tunnels. These search operations have resulted in the discovery of medicine intended for the captives, DNA evidence within a tunnel, and security camera footage of Shiri Bibas, one of the hostages, after her arrival in Khan Younis on October 7.
In February, Israeli commandos successfully carried out a rescue operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, freeing two hostages. However, the families and Israeli intelligence are growing increasingly uncertain about the hostages’ whereabouts. As a result, Israel fears the possibility of miscalculating the number of casualties.
None of the hostages have been seen by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Israeli authorities are guarded in their statements, indicating only that dozens of hostages are alive and dozens are dead.
Nonetheless, Israeli officials have shown some optimism this week, suggesting that a release deal may be on the horizon. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed the army’s “highest commitment” and readiness to take action for the hostages’ return, while negotiations have reached a “critical point” according to Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, talks in Cairo seek an accord to end the fighting, secure the release of hostages and some Palestinian prisoners, and provide increased aid to Gaza, which is currently on the verge of famine. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 33,482 people, primarily women and children.
While Israel desires the release of the hostages, it also aims to topple Hamas and believes an open-ended troop presence in Gaza is necessary to prevent the militants from regrouping. Hamas, on the other hand, demands the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the return of displaced residents to northern Gaza, which also includes its own members, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.
In response to the latest proposal, Hamas has stated that it is studying the terms, but has called them “nothing new.” The group has refrained from publicly disclosing the number of hostages that are still alive.
President Biden has strengthened the pressure on both sides to secure a deal while negotiations are still ongoing. The lack of information about the hostages is particularly distressing to Sharone Lifschitz, whose 83-year-old father, Oded, remains in Gaza. Footage from the initial attack, which was widely circulated on social media, increased the emotional roller coaster experienced by the families.
In late October, Yocheved Lifschitz, Sharone’s mother, was one of the first hostages to be released by Hamas. Both she and Oded, both peace activists, were abducted in October from kibbutz Nir Oz, which is situated less than two miles away from the Gaza border.
Another family affected is the Bibas family. Shiri Bibas, along with her husband and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were also taken from Nir Oz. Footage shows their unimaginable fear during the capture, and hostilities escalated after the militants released a video in which Yarden, Shiri’s husband, was coerced into falsely stating that his wife and sons died in an Israeli airstrike.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied their deaths, but the family has been informed that their well-being is a significant concern for the Israeli authorities.
With each passing day, the heartbreak and anxiety become unbearable for the families. The message they want to convey to the world has shifted from “listen to us” to “don’t forget us.” In the face of these ongoing challenges, their hope for successful negotiations and the safe return of the hostages remains.
