A ceasefire deal has been reached, opening the door for the release of hostages more than 15 months after the Hamas-led onslaught on Israel that started the conflict in Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas took 251 persons into custody.
Hamas freed American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, and Israelis Ofer Kalderon, 54, and Yarden Bibas, 34, on Saturday.
In exchange for hundreds of Palestinian inmates and detainees in Israel, 33 hostages should be released during the first six-week period of the truce. Only 42 captives are thought to be alive, although Israel claims that 76 are still missing.
Furthermore, Hamas continues to detain two individuals who were apprehended after entering Gaza from Israel prior to the conflict: 27-year-old Avera Mengistu, a dual national of Ethiopia and Israel, and
