Posted on 01/27/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Eight of the 33 people on the list provided by the Hamas terrorist organization of the Israeli hostages who are being freed during the six-week ceasefire are dead, government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters today (Monday).
"The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives," he said.
Israel received the list of hostages last night, a week into the ceasefire. 25 of the hostages are alive, including the seven women who have been released so far, and only 18 living hostages remain of those who are set to be released in the coming weeks.
The next group of hostages will be released on Thursday, followed by another group on Saturday. Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud is expected to be among the hostages who are released this week after Hamas violated the agreement by releasing four IDF lookouts before her.
At least 34 of the hostages who remain in Gaza are believed to be dead.
The release of 33 hostages over the course of six weeks was negotiated as part of phase one of a ceasefire agreement that was reached with the Hamas terrorist organization a week and a half ago. Negotiations on the details of the second of the three phases of the agreement are set to begin in February. Israel and the US hope that all of the 87 hostages who are still being held captive in Gaza will be freed by the end of the second or third phases.