Who are the released hostages?

KATHMANDU: Ninety-seven hostages held in Gaza have been released, seven weeks after being taken captive during the 7 October attacks on Israel.

Seventy Israeli women and children have now been freed as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas.

Three Russian-Israelis, two women and one man, not included in the deal have also been handed over by Hamas.

Twenty-three Thai hostages and one Filipino have been released as part of a separate deal between Hamas and the Egyptian government.

In addition, prior to the deals struck with Hamas, a further four Israeli hostages were released, and another was freed by Israeli forces.

On Wednesday 29 November, 10 Israeli, four Thai and two Russian-Israeli hostages were freed.

Under the exchange, 180 Palestinian have been released from Israeli jails – plus hundreds of lorries of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel have been allowed into Gaza.

Who are the released Israeli hostages?

Raya Rotem, 54, was released on Wednesday 29 November, several days after her daughter Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, who was released on 25 November. They were taken from from Kibbutz Be’eri.

Itay Regev, 18, who was released on 30 November, was seized from the Supernova festival with his sister Maya Regev, 21, who was released on Saturday. When the attack took place, Maya’s father got a call from his daughter who screamed: “Dad they’re shooting at me, I’m dead.” The family had spotted spotted Itay in handcuffs in the back of a vehicle in a video released by Hamas.

Amit Shani, 16, was also released on Wednesday. He was the only member of his family taken when he was ordered into a car by Hamas gunmen after they broke into the family’s safe room in Kibbutz Be’eri, his mother told the New York Times.

Also taken from Be’eri and released on Wednesday was Ofir Engel, 18, an Israeli-Dutch national, who was visiting his girlfriend, Yuval, at Be’eri when Hamas arrived, his family told reporters. He was abducted along with Yuval’s father, Yosi Sharabi, 51, and her uncle, Eli Sharabi, 55. Eli’s wife and two daughters were murdered in the attack.

Gali Tarshansky, 13, was released on Wednesday, having also been kidnapped from Be’eri. Her brother, Lior, was killed in the attack.

Liam Or, 18, was released on Wednesday. His brother and sister, Noam and Alma, were released on 25 November.

Yarden Roman-Gat, a 36-year-old German-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped with her husband and young child by Hamas from Kibbutz Be’eri. She, her husband Alon, and three-year-old Gefen escaped when the car briefly stopped, but Yarden became separated from the others, relatives told CNN, adding they feared she may have been recaptured. She was released on Wednesday.

Raz Ben Ami (57) and Moran Stella Yanai, 40, were also confirmed as having been released on Wednesday 29 November.

Liat Atzili, 49, a dual US-Israeli citizen was also released.

Lena Trupanov, 50, and Irena Tati, 73 – both Russian-Israelis – were released on Wednesday but not as part of the Israel-Hamas deal. Hamas said the women had been freed as a “tribute” to Russian President Vladimir Putin – who refused to condemn the group following the 7 October attacks. Hamas also released Roni Krivoi, 25, another dual Russian-Israeli national, on 26 November.

Four Thai nationals were also released on Wednesday.

Three members of one family group of Argentinian-Israelis were released on Tuesday 28 November. Mia Leimberg, 17, her mother Gabriela, 59, and Mia’s aunt Clara Marman, 63, were believed to have been taken on 7 October from Nir Yitzhak. They had been hiding in their safe room. Gabriela and Clara’s brother Fernando Simon Marman, and Clara’s partner Louis Har, have not been released.

Sharon Aloni Cunio, 34, and her three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly, were released on 27 November. David Cunio, Sharon’s husband and father of the two girls, remains in Gaza.

The four were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with Sharon’s sister, Daniele Aloni, and her six-year-old daughter Emilia, who were both released on 24 November.

Or Yaakov, 16, and younger brother Yagil, who turned 13 during captivity, were also freed on 27 November. Their father Yair Yaakov, 59, remains a hostage. Yair’s partner Meirav Tal, 53, was released on 28 November.

Rimon Buchshtab Kirsht, 36, lived in Kibbutz Nirim with her husband Yagev – who remains a hostage. Rimon was freed on 28 November.

Siblings Sahar Kalderon, 16, and Erez, 12, were released after being taken by Hamas from Nir Oz.

Karina Engel-Bart, 52, and her two daughters Mika Engel, 18, and Yuval Engel, 11, have now been released.

Eitan Yahalomi, 12, was also freed after he was taken to Gaza. His father, Ohad, who was shot and injured as he tried to defend their family home, is believed to be a hostage.

The fathers of all nine children released on 27 November – David Cunio, 33, Yair Yaakov, 59, Ofer Kalderon, 53, Ronen Engel, 55, and Ohad Yahalomi – are still in captivity.

Emily Hand, 9, was released on 25 November after being held in Gaza without any of her family. The Irish-Israeli girl, who went missing from kibbutz Be’eri, turned nine while she was a hostage. Her father, Tom Hand, who was originally told Emily had been killed, gave a statement to the BBC following her release.

“We can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days,” he said, adding that while the family was “happy to hug Emily again”, they have not forgotten the other people still being held captive.

Doron Katz Asher, 34, and her two daughters Raz, four, and Aviv, two, were taken captive while staying with relatives near the Gaza border. Doron’s husband, Yoni, saw a video of his wife and daughters being loaded on to a truck with other hostages. He also traced Doron’s mobile phone to Gaza.

“I am determined to bring about the resurrection of my family from the trauma and the terrible bereavement we went through,” Mr Asher told the BBC following their release.

“I don’t celebrate, I won’t celebrate until the last of the kidnapped returns,” he said.

“The families of the kidnapped are not posters, they are not slogans, they are real people, and the families of the kidnapped are from today my new family, and I will make sure and do everything that the last of the kidnapped comes home.”

Israeli-American Avigail Idan was just three at the time she was taken hostage from her home, where her parents were attacked and killed by Hamas gunmen. She survived and walked to the home of her neighbours, the Brodutch family, but was later abducted along with the family. Avigail turned four while she was held hostage.

Hagar Brodutch, 40, was released alongside her children Oria, 4, Yuval, 8, and Offri, 10. They were at Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas struck, according to Avichai Brodutch, Hagar’s husband. Her father-in-law, Shmuel Brodutch, told Israel’s Channel 13 News: “The moment I heard they were in the hands of the Red Cross, I was relieved.”

Ohad Munder-Zichri, nine, his mother, Keren Munder, 54, and his grandmother Ruthi Munder, 78, were kidnapped from Nir Oz. Ohad’s ninth birthday took place while he was in Gaza. Another family member, Avraham Munder, is still being held hostage.

Itay Ravi, Avraham’s nephew, told BBC Newsnight the release of some of his family members was “one step towards being happy” but that “it’s still a very, very horrific reality that we’re in”.

Noam Or, 17, and his sister Alma, 13, were released on 25 November. In the 7 October attacks, they were seen by a neighbour being dragged out of their home in Be’eri, along with their father Dror Or, 48, according to their nephew Emmanuel Besorai. The body of Yonat, 50 – Dror’s wife and the children’s mother – was identified among the 120 people killed at the kibbutz. Noam and Alma’s uncle, Ahal Besorai, told the BBC that the siblings did not know their mother had been killed. “We had to bring the sad news to them,” he said.

Sisters Dafna, 15, and Ela Elyakim, 8, were taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the day of the attack, and were part of a family group whose capture was live-streamed by the attackers. The girls’ mother, Maayan Zin, said in a statement that she was happy her daughters had returned, adding that since they were kidnapped, she had been living “between despair and hope, between pain and optimism”.

Chen Almog-Goldstein, 48, and her children Tal, 8, Gal, 11, and Agam, 17, were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the day of the attack. Chen’s husband, Nadav, and their 20-year-old daughter, Yam, were killed by Hamas.

Tamar Metzger, 78, was freed on 28 November. Her husband Yoram – who has diabetes and broke his hip six months ago – remains in captivity.

Ditza Heiman, 84, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz and a former social worker, was freed on 28 November. She is the widow of Zvi Shdaimah, who came to the UK on the Kindertransport, the organised rescue of children from Nazi-controlled areas during World War Two.

Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77, a former head teacher, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas. She was released on 28 November.

Ada Sagi, who turned 75 while in captivity, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The grandmother, who teaches Hebrew and Arabic, was freed on 28 November.

Noralin “Nataly” Babadila – or Noralin Agojo in some reports – is 60, and had been visiting Kibbutz Nirim to celebrate the community’s 70th anniversary when she was kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October. Her partner, Gideon, was murdered that day.

Hanna Katzir, 77, was abducted from Nir Oz, along with her son, Elad Katzir, 47. On 9 November she appeared in a hostage video released by Hamas.

Channah Peri, 79, was taken hostage along with her son Nadav Popplewell, 51. Channah emigrated to Israel in the 1960s from South Africa and has three children.

Dr Shoshan Haran, 67, was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, on 7 October. She is the founder of a not-for-profit organisation to help feed those in poverty and has a PhD in agronomy. She was released from captivity on 25 November along with her daughter Adi Shoham, 38, and her children, Nave, eight, and Yahel, three. Dr Haran’s husband, Avshalom – an economist and dual German-Israeli citizen – was killed in the Hamas attack, while Adi’s husband, Tal, 38, remains in captivity.

Also released were Sharon Avigdori, 52, a drama therapist, and her daughter Noam, 12, who are relatives of Dr Haran and were kidnapped from Be’eri at the same time. Family members Eviatar Kipnis, 65 and his wife Lilach Kipnis, 60, were killed in the attack, the family has said.

Yafa Adar, 85, was kidnapped from Nir Oz. She has three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, the group speaking for families said. Yafa’s grandson Tamir, 38, who defended the kibbutz as part of the Nir Oz emergency squad, was also taken to Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.

Shiri Weiss, 53 and her daughter Noga, 18, were taken from Be’eri, along with Shiri’s husband Ilan Weiss, 58, who is Noga’s father. Shiri is an accountant for the kibbutz’s agricultural association. A video message from the family said Shiri was captured while Noga hid under the bed, until fires set by Hamas forced her out and she too was kidnapped.

Adrienne Aviva Seigel, 62, was taken from her home in Kfar Aza along with her 64-year-old husband Keith, his brother told the BBC. Keith is thought to be among the remaining hostages.

Margalit Mozes, 78, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. A cancer survivor, her family say she has other health problems that require almost constant medical care.

Adina Moshe, 72, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz on 7 October. Her husband Said Moshe was killed in the attack, according to a group that has been speaking on behalf of many hostages and their families. Afterwards, she was identified by her family in a video clip showing her wedged between two Hamas fighters on a motorbike.

The Israeli military confirmed on 26 November that Elma Avraham, 84, was airlifted to Soroka hospital in Beersheba in a serious condition. She had lived at Kibbutz Nahal Oz for nearly 50 years before she was kidnapped, a spokesman for the community said.

Roni Krivoi, 25, is a dual Israeli-Russian national who lives in Karmiel, northern Israel, and had been working as a sound engineer at the Supernova music festival when he was kidnapped.

Hamas said Mr Krivoi had been let go as a show of appreciation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who refused to condemn the group following the 7 October attacks.

Hostages previously freed

Prior to the deal struck between Israel and Hamas, four hostages were released, and another was freed by Israeli forces:

• Two Americans – Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie Raanan – were released on Friday 20 October
• Two elderly women – Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifschitz – were freed on Monday 23 October
• An Israeli soldier – Ori Megidish – was freed during ground operations in Gaza on 29 October

Foreign nationals

Twenty foreign workers have been released as part of a separate deal. Nineteen of these are from Thailand.

Boonthom Pankhong, 39, and his girlfriend, Natthawaree Mulakan, were released by Hamas on Friday. Boonthom’s sister Urai Chantachart told BBC Thai that the family was “overjoyed”. “Our family has been suffering for over a month, but we never thought he was dead. We strongly believed that he [was] still alive,” she said. She added he had been working in Israel for five years when he was kidnapped, and was the family’s main breadwinner.

It was feared Wichai Kalapat was among the Thai nationals killed in the Hamas raid but his girlfriend received word last week that he was being held hostage in Gaza. She told the BBC she was “so happy” because she did not think he would be among those who were released.

Seven other hostages were also released at the same time. Their names are Uthai Thunsri, Buddee Saengboon, Bancha Kongmanee, Withoon Phumee, Mongkhol Phajuabboon, Santi Boonphrom, and Uthai Sangnuan.

Gelienor “Jimmy” Leano Pacheco, 33, from the Philippines, was also released on Friday as part of the same deal. The father of three had been working in Israel as a caregiver to 80-year-old Amita Ben Zvi, who was killed in the attack on Nir Oz.

Natthaphon Onkaew, Khomkrit Chombua were among the four Thai nationals released on 25 November, according to the country’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin.

Anucha Angkaew was also freed. His wife, Wanida Maarsa, told BBC Thai that her husband, who had been working on an avocado farm for almost two years, was one of those taken captive by Hamas militants.

The fourth person released was Manee Jirachat, who travelled to Israel for work four years ago. He was seized by Hamas along with five other workers who had taken cover together, according to a Thai TV interview with his father, who had spoken to survivors.

It was announced on 26 November that Wichian Temthong, Surin Kesungnoen and Phonsawan Pinakalo had been freed.

Two more hostages were released on Tuesday 28 November – O-wat Suriyasri and Pattanayuth Tonsokri.