1 of 4 Israel updates the number of hostages held by Hamas to 210 Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Israel updates the number of hostages held by Hamas to 210 Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
The Israeli military indicates that more than 200 people are currently being taken hostage by Hamas following the surprise attack on October 7th.
The Israel Defense Forces have told some family members that their loved ones are being held hostage, while in other cases, relatives believe the person was taken hostage because he or she had been missing for a long time.
Hamas said it hid the hostages in “safe locations and tunnels” in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Israeli military, the hostages include 20 children and between 10 and 20 people over 60 years old. These are the stories confirmed or credibly reported by the BBC about people abducted from Israel by Hamas.
Last Friday (20), two American hostages a mother and a daughter were released by Hamas. This Monday (23), two more women were released: Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85. However, according to the Israeli government, the husbands of the two elderly women remain imprisoned as hostages.
The list of hostages is updated regularly and names may change as over the days some people considered hostages may have been released or even killed.
2 of 4 Hamas says it has released hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper Photo: Reproduction/Portal Hamas says it has released hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper Photo: Reproduction/Portal
Doron, Raz and Aviv Asher were captured while staying with relatives near the Gaza border. Yoni, the husband, saw a video of his wife and daughters, ages 5 and 3, being put into a truck with other hostages. He also tracked her cell phone to Gaza.
Meirav Tal, her partner Yair Yaakov and his sons Yagil, 12, and Or, 16, are listed among the hostages. The children’s mother, Ranana, was on the phone with them when Hamas arrived and heard her youngest son shouting: “Don’t take me with you, I’m too young!” A video also appears to show Yair and Meirav with their kidnappers.
Amit ShaniThe 16yearold was forced into a car by Hamas gunmen after they broke into the family’s safe room on Kibbutz Be’eri, his mother told the New York Times.
Tsachi Idan He was last seen by his wife Gali when he was abducted by Hamas gunmen. Her family was in a safe room a reinforced concrete room with airtight steel doors and windows designed to withstand rocket attacks on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. His capture was broadcast live by Hamas. Eldest son Maayan who had just turned 18 was shot, Gali told the BBC.
Margalit MozesThe 78yearold was seen on a tape taken by Hamas from her home in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near Gaza, her brother Chanon Cohen told CBS. She had health problems that required nearconstant medical care, her family said.
Amiram CooperThe 85yearold man was kidnapped with his wife Nurit Cooper from their home in Nir Oz, his daughterinlaw Noa told the BBC. This Monday (23) Nurit was released by Hamas. The family even spoke to the couple during the Oct. 7 attack, and the elderly said they were in a safe room in the house. The family later traced Amiram’s phone to Gaza.
Judith Weinstein Haggai, 70, and her husband Gad, 73He also disappeared from Nir Oz after the Hamas attack. Ten days later, the Israeli military confirmed to the family that they had been taken hostage, CTV News in Canada reported.
Adina Moshe, 72 years old, was identified by her family in a video showing her being sandwiched between two Hamas fighters on a motorcycle and apparently being taken to Gaza. She was also kidnapped in Nir Oz, her relatives told CNN.
Alex Danzig, 75 years old, a Holocaust scholar and historian, was at his home, also in Nir Oz, when the residence was attacked by Hamas on October 7. “We are sure he was kidnapped,” his son Mati told the BBC. Alex whose older sister Edith is a Holocaust survivor has worked for Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, for the past 30 years. His disappearance sparked a campaign for his release, both in Israel and in his native Poland.
Hagar Brodutch, 40, her daughter Ofri, 10, and sons Yuval, 8, and Oria, 4, According to Avichai Brodutch, Hagar’s husband and father of the children, they were in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, when Hamas attacked. He told ABC News that he initially thought they were dead, but then received word from the kibbutz that they had been seen alive and taken away.
Ron Scherman, a 19yearold Israeli soldier, was kidnapped at a border crossing, his mother Maayan told Israeli news channel i24. She later identified him in a video released by Hamas.
Shiri, Yarden, Ariel and Kfir Bibas They were reportedly kidnapped from the kibbutz in southern Israel where they lived and where Shiri worked as a kindergarten teacher. Shiri was photographed holding threeyearold Ariel and ninemonthold Kfir, surrounded by Hamas gunmen.
Yossi and Margit SilbermanShiri’s parents are also missing and have probably been captured.
Daphna Elyakim, 15, and her sister Ella, 8, were seen on video being held at home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, relatives said. The girls’ father, Noam Elyakim, Noam’s partner Dikla Arava and their 17yearold son Tomer were killed. Relatives said Ella and Daphna appeared in photos posted by Hamas.
Karina Ariev, a 19yearold soldier, was serving at a military base near Gaza when she was kidnapped. Her sister Alexandra told the BBC she heard gunshots when Karina called her during the attack and later saw a video showing Karina being taken away in a vehicle.
Ofer, Erez and Sahar Kalderon were captured in Kibbutz Nir Oz. A video on social media appeared to show 12yearold Erez being taken towards Gaza by gunmen, his relative Ido Dan told the BBC. It was initially believed that two other family members, Carmela Dan, 80, and her granddaughter Noya, 12, had also been kidnapped, but Israeli authorities later announced that they had been found dead.
Mia Shem, 21 years old, of Shoham, appeared in the first hostage video released by Hamas, which said she was kidnapped at a party. Israel Defense Forces confirmed that she had been taken hostage and said they were in contact with her family, who agreed to show the video footage.
3 of 4 Picture of Mia Schem in the video Photo: Reproduction/Twitter Picture of Mia Schem in the video Photo: Reproduction/Twitter
Channah Peri, 79, and her son Nadav Popplewell, 51, were taken hostage by Hamas, said Channah’s daughter Ayelet Svatitzky, who was on the phone with them when the gunmen broke into their home. She said the kidnappers sent photos of her two relatives, both suffering from diabetes, with gunmen in the background.
Omri MiranThe 46yearold was kidnapped after his family opened the door to their safe haven to an Israeli child who said he would be killed otherwise. Omri’s wife, Lishay Lavi, said she saw him being led away in handcuffs along with three other hostages from Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
Liri ElbagThe 18yearold had just begun military training as an army guard near the Gaza border when Hamas attacked, his father Eli told the Associated Press. Eli said he saw them in a video later released by Hamas, along with others in the back of a military truck that was seized by the gunmen.
Many people may have been kidnapped from the Supernova music festival in southern Israel. Between them:
Moran Stele Yanai, 40, a jewelry designer who was selling her work at the festival when the attack happened. She was later seen on video sitting on the floor surrounded by derogatory Arabic texts about Jews, her brother told the Associated Press.
Almog Meir JanThe 21yearold tried to escape the festival. He and a friend reached his friend’s car but were only able to travel a short distance before being forced to stop. Almog’s family claims to have seen a hostage video in which he appears.
Inbar Heiman, a 21yearold student, was seen being taken away from the festival on a motorcycle by two young Israelis. Hamas released a video in which Inbar can briefly be seen.
Hersh GoldbergPolin, 23 years old, from California, was seen by witnesses being loaded into a truck, his family told the Los Angeles Times. He was seriously injured and unconscious, witnesses said, and the last known location of his cellphone showed him at the Gaza border.
Maya Regev, 21, and her brother Itay, 18, from Herzliya, would also have been taken. On the morning of the attack, Maya’s father received a call from his daughter, who screamed: “Dad, they’re shooting at me, I’m dead.” The family said they later saw Itay handcuffed in the back seat of a car in a video released by Hamas vehicle seen. Almost two days later, the Israeli army informed the family that Maya and Itay had been kidnapped.
Shani Louka tourist from Germany, was attending a festival near the Gaza border when Hamas members invaded the area, opened fire and sent frightened people fleeing through the desert.
Her mother, Ricarda, said she saw a video of Shani after she was taken away and later said she had information that the young woman was in critical condition in Gaza due to a head injury.
4 of 4 DJ Shani Louk, kidnapped by Hamas, is alive, says his mother Photo: Social networks DJ Shani Louk, kidnapped by Hamas, is alive, says his mother Photo: Social networks
Noa Argamani, a Chineseborn Israeli citizen, was also kidnapped at the festival. Video footage confirmed by her father Yaakov Argamani on Israel’s Channel 12 shows the 25yearold being taken away on the back of a motorcycle, screaming: “Don’t kill me!”
Bar KupersteinThe 21yearold last spoke to his family on the morning of October 7 when the attack unfolded. Later the same day, his family claimed to have identified him in a video of Israeli prisoners released by Hamas. Since then, they say they have not received any further information.
Vivian Silver, 74 years old, a wellknown defender of peace. In his last communication he said that his house in Kibbutz Be’er was attacked.
Roni EshelThe 19yearold was at a military base on the border with the Gaza Strip. Her family says the last time they heard from her was the morning of the Hamas attack. Your base has been attacked. She sent her mother a text message around 9:30 a.m. saying, “Mom, I’m fine, I’m busy, I love you.”
Jordan Roman Gat, a 36yearold GermanIsraeli citizen, was kidnapped by Hamas in Kibbutz Be’eri with her husband and young son. She, her husband Alon and threeyearold Gefen managed to escape when the car stopped briefly, but Jordan became separated from the others, relatives told CNN, adding that they fear she could be recaptured.
Ohad and Ethan Vahalomy According to Ohad’s mother Esther, they were kidnapped from their kibbutz. She said her daughterinlaw and two of her granddaughters managed to escape when five gunmen broke into their home, but Ohad and 12yearold Ethan were taken away.
Ditza Heiman, 84 years old, was seen by a neighbor at Kibbutz Nir Oz being taken away by Hamas gunmen, her niece said. A former social worker, she is the widow of Zvi Shdaimah, who emigrated to Britain with the Kindertransport, the organized rescue of children from Nazicontrolled areas during the Second World War.
Dror Or, his wife Yonat, his son Noam and his daughter Alma were seen by a neighbor being dragged out of their home on Kibbutz Be’eri, according to her nephew Emmanuel Besorai. There has been no contact since then, he said. Noam is 15 and Alma is 13.
Shoshan Haran, his daughter Adi Shoham, Adi’s partner Tal Shoham and their sons Naveh and YahelThey were kidnapped from the family home on Kibbutz Be’eri, according to the nonprofit organization she founded, Fair Planet. Fair Planet said they lost contact with Haran after the Hamas attack, but a phone belonging to Haran’s husband Avshalom was traced to Gaza and they believe the entire family was kidnapped. Avshalom Haran an economist and dual GermanIsraeli citizen was killed, the BBC confirmed. He was 66 years old. Shoshan is 67, Naveh is eight and Yahel is three.
Sharon Avigdori52, and her daughter Noam, 12, are related to Haran and are believed to have been kidnapped at the same time. Eviatar Kipnis, 65, and his wife Lilach Kipnis, 60, were killed, the family said.
Yaffa AdarThe 85yearold was kidnapped from a kibbutz near the Gaza border. Her granddaughter Adva found a video of her being taken to Gaza surrounded by four armed men.
Sharone Lifschitz’s parents a Londonbased artist who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals may also have been taken hostage at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Lifschitz said his father spoke Arabic and spent his retirement taking Palestinians who needed medical treatment to hospitals.
Ada Sagi, 74, may also have been abducted from her home on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her son Noam said Israeli soldiers found bloodstains but no trace of his mother and that she was not among those killed or injured in the small community.
Efrat Katz and Gadi MozesDoron Asher’s mother (who was kidnapped with her daughters) and her partner, respectively, were also kidnapped during the same attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, according to family members and the Israeli aid organization where Gadi Mozes worked as an agricultural specialist.
Marmoset DekelChen, an AmericanIsraeli citizen, has been missing since the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, his father Jonathan told the BBC. Jonathan said his son was not found among the dead and the “only reasonable explanation” was that he was taken to Gaza.
Anucha Angkaew, a Thai national who worked on an avocado farm for almost two years, was seen in a video released by Hamas. His wife Wanida Maarsa identified him to BBC Thai.
Boonthom Phankhong and Nattawaree “Yo” MoonkanAccording to Thai television reports, her husband and his wife were working in a mushroom factory near Gaza when Hamas gunmen entered and began shooting. Yo, 35 years old, screamed while everyone hid and was taken away along with her 45yearold husband.
O wat Suriyasri According to reports on Thai television, he was photographed with his hands tied behind his back while armed men watched him, as shown in a photo sent to his family by a colleague. He and his wife have a son in Thailand.
Manee JirachatAccording to a Thai television interview with his father, who spoke to survivors, he, who traveled to Israel to work four years ago, was captured by Hamas along with five other workers who took cover together.
Natthaporn Onkaew, Komkrit Chombua, Parinya Taemklang, Pattanayuth Tonsokri, Kiattisak “Top” Patee and an unknown man were exposed as hostages by the Thai Foreign Ministry. Thailand said 14 of its citizens were captured.