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List of Gaza war hostages
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Prior to the Gaza War breaking out on October 7, 2023, there were four Israeli citizens held hostage in the Gaza Strip, two of whom were alive, with the others dead. As part of the October 7 attacks that started the Gaza War, 251 additional people were kidnapped and taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, most of whom were Israeli citizens. A total of 168 hostages returned alive: eight were rescued[a], five released outside of any ceasefire framework, with the rest released during ceasefires in the Gaza War.[b]
The last living hostage was released on October 13, 2025 as part of the Gaza peace plan. As of 9 November 2025[update], four bodies of hostages are still held in the Gaza Strip.
In addition to the hostages kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, there were two hostage standoff situations inside Israel as part of the October 7 attacks, with a third attempt at a standoff thwarted when the victims managed to escape to the roof where they were rescued. Both hostage situations were resolved in less than 24 hours. Of the 17 people who were held hostage inside Israel, only four survived.
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Hostages held in Gaza
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Hostages who survived
The following are hostages who were alive when released or rescued:[c]
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Hostages who did not survive
The following are hostages whose bodies were returned (31), recovered by the IDF (47), retrieved during a failed military operation (3), or are still held in captivity (4):[c]
Hostages held prior to the 7 October attacks
Four hostages were held in the Gaza Strip prior to the October 7 attacks: two IDF soldiers killed during the 2014 Gaza War, whose bodies were taken by Hamas; and two Israeli civilians abducted in 2014 and 2015 after wandering into the Gaza Strip. Israel demanded their inclusion in a unified hostage deal, along with the hostages taken in the October 7 attacks. The two civilians were released during the January 2025 Gaza war ceasefire, the body of one of the soldiers was recovered during a military operation a few hours before the ceasefire went into effect, and the remains of the second soldier were returned by Hamas on 9 November 2025 as part of the Gaza peace plan.
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Hostages held in Israel
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There were two hostage standoff situations inside Israel on the day of the October 7 attacks: one in Ofakim at the home of Rachel Edry, and one in Be'eri at the home of Pessi Cohen. At a third scene, the police station in Sderot, police officers and civillians managed to flee to the station's roof where they were rescued without being overpowered by the Hamas terrorists. The Hamas terrorists were therefore holed up at the station without having hostages in their custody.[98]
The hostage takers at Pessi Cohen's home in Be'eri demanded safe passage to Gaza for themselves and their hostages.[99]
Hostages who survived
Hostages who did not survive
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Notes
- Seven of the eight were rescued in special rescue operations, and the eighth was rescued as part of ordinary military operations
- All hostages released during ceasefires were released as part of the ceasefire agreements with the following exceptions: During the 2023 Gaza war ceasefire, 23 Thai nationals and 1 Filipino were released outside of the framework of the ceasefire agreement. Additionally, Roni Krivoi, a dual Israeli-Russian national was released as a gesture towards Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the ceasefire agreement.[1] During the January 2025 Gaza war ceasefire, five Thai nationals were released outside the ceasefire agreement.
- Eight months after the recovery of Tsarfati's body, Hamas released a photo of his body purporting the photo to be evidence of their claim that one of their operatives assigned to guard Israeli hostages had recently killed a hostage in an act of revenge.[90] On October 27, 2025 Hamas returned to Israel remnants of his body not recovered in 2023.[91]
- Razeem lived in East Jerusalem, unilaterally annexed by Israel in 1980 but considered as part of Palestine by the United Nations. He did not hold Israeli citizenship, but did maintain a permanent Israeli residency.[104][105]
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