Israel confirmed today (Tuesday) that on the upcoming Saturday, the six remaining living hostages from phase one of the deal will be released.
This Thursday, four deceased hostages will be returned to Israel, and in an additional phase next week, the remaining four deceased from the first phase of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas will be returned.
These are the stories of the last 14 hostages to be returned in phase one:
Shiri (32), Ariel (5) and Kfir (1.5) Bibas
On Oct. 7, the four members of the Bibas family were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. They were abducted separately. The father, Yarden Bibas (34), returned home in the deal's first phase and received the devastating news that his family was still held captive in Gaza with their fate unknown. Since the abduction, an entire nation has been praying for the return of mother Shiri and the two redheaded children Ariel and Kfir, with Kfir being just 10 months old at the time.
In the early morning hours of Oct. 7, the family unwillingly became a symbol: A video of their abduction showing Shiri (32) holding her children was filmed by Hamas, spread on social media, and sent shockwaves. Additionally, a video of Shiri with the two children in Gaza was released by the IDF spokesperson, marking their last documentation.
In a video released in February 2024, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were seen being taken to Khan Younis in Gaza. IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari presented the video in his statement. The footage shows several gunmen forcing Shiri to wrap herself in fabric. They were put into another vehicle and transferred elsewhere: "Based on the information we have, we are very worried about the wellbeing of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said several weeks ago. Since then, an entire nation has been waiting to hear of their fate.
"We maintain hope and wait for their return. We await certainty about their condition. The information Hamas provided to Israel about the hostages contains no specifics about their identities or conditions. This does not affect our continued demand for their return," the family members stated.
Both of Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silverman, who also lived in Nir Oz, were murdered in the attack on the kibbutz, and their home was set on fire.
Eliya Cohen (27): The abduction from the party and the fiancée waiting for him
As the phases of the first stage progressed, Eliya Cohen's family received their first sign of life from him through returned hostages. His mother, Siggy Cohen, said she received testimonies indicating her son was being held in a tunnel, chained, shot in his legs, without food, and suffering from abuse. In June 2024, a video of his abduction in a pickup truck with three other hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Or Levy, was released.
Eliya was at the Nova festival in Reim with his partner Ziv Aboud. After the rocket fire began, they fled to a shelter that eventually became a death trap. With them were Ziv's nephew, Amit Ben Avida, and his partner Karin Schwartzman. Amit and Karin were murdered, and Eliya was taken to Gaza.
Ziv Aboud was wounded, and since then hasn't stopped fighting for Eliya's release from captivity, and even revealed that he had intended to propose to her.
In an interview with Israel Hayom on Holocaust Remembrance Day, when she met a Holocaust survivor, she said: "Eliya and I were hugging until I felt them pulling him away from me. Everything she told me I could relate to my story. I'm trying to look for Eliya among the bodies and realize there's no trace of him. I realize that now I'm alone."
Momi, Eliya's father, recently said in an interview with Israel Hayom: "To know that your child is in such a difficult condition – chained, not seeing daylight, not exposed to the outside world – it's incomprehensible. There's a glimmer of hope in the fact that this difficult information came when he's on the list of those to be released in this phase."
His mother said he is a "happy child who loves life, handsome, charismatic, and a leader. He has friends everywhere – in Israel and around the world. He traveled a lot and everywhere he collected friends."
Eliya loves electronic music and techno, and in the past produced parties and brought artists from abroad. Shortly before his abduction, he began working in sales and real estate.
Omer Shem Tov (21): Abducted from the party with friends who were released
Omer Shem Tov was abducted from the Nova festival. He was held captive together with his friends Mia and Itai Regev, who were released as part of the hostage deal. During the abduction, Omer shared his real-time location with his family, and they watched him enter Gaza's territory, unable to help him. That night, Hamas already released a video showing Omer tied up with Itai in a pickup truck driving into Gaza.
Omer is the youngest of three siblings. According to his mother Shelly Shem Tov, before his abduction he worked as a waiter while pursuing his interest in music, particularly focusing on organizing events and working as a DJ.
His mother, who hasn't stopped fighting for his release, wrote previously: "My son is a 21-year-old young man. I'm waiting for his hug, waiting to enter his room in the morning and see him sleeping, to stroke his hair and give him a good morning kiss. I'm waiting for him to sing loudly in the shower, waiting for him to open the door after a workday and call out to me 'Mamo I'm home', give me a hug and three kisses on the cheek. Waiting for him to make me laugh. Waiting for him to sit and tell me about things he's considering and wants advice about. I am Omer's mother and I'm waiting for him to return..."
Former hostage Mia Regev and her brother Itai frequently mention Omer and the urgency to release him. His friends describe a unique person who makes the most of every day. Each day in his life is filled with moments of happiness, freedom, and love. He's always surrounded by friends, partying or working as a waiter and saving for a big trip while melting everyone's hearts with his smile.
Omer Shem Tov will be released on humanitarian grounds. "My Omer suffers from asthma and needs his inhaler daily, he suffers from breathing difficulties and it's a great hardship to spend whole days there without the inhaler," his father Malki said, adding that Itai shared that Omer struggled with breathing difficulties in captivity.
Tal Shoham (40): The visit to Beeri, the abduction, and the children who returned from captivity
Tal Shoham was taken to Gaza along with his family, including his two young children, from Kibbutz Beeri, where they were visiting.
On that terrible Saturday, the Shoham family came from their community of Maaleh Tzvia in the Lower Galilee to visit grandmother Shoshan Haran. During the attack, Hamas terrorists entered the house while the family hid in the safe room, and at some point contact with them was lost. Later it was reported they were abducted.
The father Tal (38), his wife Adi (38), and their two young children, Nave (8) and Yahel (3), were taken to Gaza. However, while the mother and children returned after 50 days, the family's father remained behind. Family members describe Tal as a sensitive and loving person, with many varied interests and curiosity who connects easily with others.
His daughter Yahel once described what she's going through in the words of a 4-year-old: "We see lots of daddies, just not our daddy..." Yahel drew her father spreading his arms for a hug and smiling, saying: "He does this with his arms and no one comes to him."
Omer Wenkert (22): The phone that was found and the bowel disease he suffers from
On Oct. 7, Omer Wenkert went to dance with his good friend Kim at the Nova festival in Reim. When the terrorist attack began, they tried to save themselves.
Omer texted his parents during the attack when he was in a shelter. At 07:01 he wrote to them: "Terrifying, rockets overhead." Then he wrote: "F***, there are shots here mom." He reported explosions, and when asked if he was okay answered no. He then added, "I'm terrified."
During the day it became clear that Kim was murdered and Omer was taken to Gaza. His family discovered this from a video distributed by Hamas, where he was seen lying in a pickup truck, surrounded by terrorists, and from one particularly painful photo – where he is handcuffed.
Before being abducted, Omer managed a restaurant and was supposed to start culinary studies. His mother, Niva, keeps Omer's mobile phone in an envelope after it was found by a soldier in the area about a month after the abduction. The phone is shattered to pieces and tells of the horrors that occurred in the shelter.
Shortly after the abduction, his mother said: "We saw pictures of him alive. My son has colitis. There are medications he takes regularly. It could be dangerous if he doesn't receive the medications. Hamas will bear responsibility for any harm that comes to the children and elderly being denied their essential medications."
Since Omer suffers from bowel disease, he is expected to be released on humanitarian grounds. Dr. Adi Fox, his doctor, said at the time: "Omer is diagnosed with colitis, he's on regular Remicade treatment. If he loses blood he'll become anemic and need iron. This medication requires treatment and a quiet environment. He's suffering and it can lead to immediate life danger. This is why the World Health Organization needs to release him to allow him to receive treatment and save his life."
Since Omer was abducted, the ground shook at his family's home. "We are in an uncompromising war," his mother said. His story is especially painful given that his grandmother Tzili is a Holocaust survivor.
"It's as if someone hit me with a big hammer in the head," his grandmother said. "All my wounds reopened. This is the worst thing that happened to me. This is my real Holocaust. Then, I was a baby. Then, I had a family. Now who will protect me? They're all in trouble. I hurt for Omer, but I also hurt for my child, my son, Omer's father."
Shay Wenkert, Omer's father, said at one of the rallies: "We're out of strength, but in every little corner, in every fiber of my body I have additional strength, because I have no right to give up, no right to sleep and do other things. This is my life's mission 24/7 and we will bring everyone home."
Tzachi Idan (56): The daughter murdered before his eyes, the live broadcast, and the sign of life
On Oct. 7, Tzachi Idan was brutally abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. This happened before the eyes of his wife Gali and children Yael (12) and Shahar (10), after his daughter Maayan (18) was murdered beside him, and in front of the rest of the family as the two held the safe room door.
This is one of the most terrible and shocking stories of that day. The family experienced hours of terror and hell when held hostage at their home, as the terrorists broadcast what was happening on social media.
The young son Shahar asked the terrorist if he was going to kill his father Tzachi and the terrorist told him: "If I kill him, I'll do it in another room." Tzachi said: "This is crazy." His wife Gali said she knows "Tzachi left in immense shock."
For days his family didn't know what happened to him, until hostages returned in November 2023. Former hostage Hagar Brodetz then told his family members, with permission from the Shin Bet, about their meeting in captivity inside Gaza. It appears that Hagar is the only one who met Tzachi in captivity for 48 hours before she was released.
In an interview, she said: "After five weeks they put us in a car and we set out on the roads of Gaza, suddenly the car stopped and someone else got on. He was wearing a COVID mask and a black wool hat. I said to my son Yuval: 'Come closer to me, give him room.' And then he said: 'Come Yuval, sit on me.'
"We weren't allowed to talk, but occasionally we exchanged a word and I understood he was from Nahal Oz, and already during the ride I understood what happened in the safe room," she added.
Devora Idan, Tzachi's mother, waged a persistent struggle to bring him back, participated in rallies, and appealed to leaders' hearts.
At one point she said: "My son was abducted after his daughter was murdered in his hands. Our family lives in this nightmare and this surreal reality. Time is not on our side. The victory image is only the return of all hostages to their homes, healthy and whole as soon as possible. Without the hostages, there will be no more revival for the State of Israel."
In October 2024, Master Sergeant (res.) Guy Idan, Tzachi's cousin, was killed in Lebanon. Amir Idan, Guy's brother, and Tzachi's cousin said afterward: "Guy won't return to us, but Tzachi and the hostages must be returned before there are more widows, orphans, and bereaved parents."
Ohad Yahalomi (50): The attempt to protect his family and the son who was abducted
Ohad Yahalomi (50) was abducted on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. That Saturday he barricaded himself in the safe room with his wife Bat-Sheva and their three children. Since the safe room door wouldn't close, he went outside to protect his family and close the door on them from outside. When the terrorists entered the house, he was shot and wounded by the gunfire and Bat-Sheva and the children were abducted before his eyes. Later it turned out that Ohad was also abducted.
Amazingly, Bat-Sheva and their two young daughters managed to escape from the terrorists just before they crossed the fence into Gaza. However, their son Eitan (12) was abducted, then released as part of the first hostage deal after 52 days in captivity. Ohad remained behind.
Since he was abducted, his wife has been raising their three children alone, one of them as mentioned survived captivity.
At a rally held at the Hostages Square, she recalled: "The captivity experiences are evident on Eitan. The fear of going to sleep, the nightmares, hair loss, restlessness, and loss of innocence. We will overcome all these eventually, I'm sure of that, but it can only happen when his father and the rest of the hostages return.
"The last image Eitan and his two sisters have of their father is Ohad lying on the floor, wounded and bleeding, after he left the safe room to protect us. About three weeks later came the news that he was abducted. And since January - radio silence. No information. Dad disappeared. So close, yet light years away."
Ohad is known as a family man, he loves spending time with his children and extended family. He loves cooking and food, he's charismatic, surrounded by dozens of close friends from different circles who are all working for his release from captivity.
Ohad has been a Nature and Parks Authority ranger for 19 years. Before that, he was an instructor at the Sde Boker Field School. People say about him that he's "a man of the desert", and knows every trail and inch in the Negev, the Judean Desert, and Jordan. He very much loves hiking with the children in the fields and nature. Alongside his work, he published a scorpion guide, together with partners.
Oded Lifshitz (84): The grandson who won't stop fighting, and the cactus garden waiting for his return
Oded Lifshitz, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was abducted to Gaza on Oct. 7 together with his wife Yocheved. They were in their home when the attack began. Shortly after five terrorists broke into their safe room, Oded was shot in his hand and fainted, and Yocheved was dragged forcefully from the bed and they were taken to Gaza. Only in retrospect did she learn that in the first days after the abduction he was staying in an apartment in Khan Younis. However, at some point, his traces disappeared.
"After 50 days, when the released women came out, it turned out that one of them, a member of Nir Oz, was with him," Yocheved said. "She told us that he was alive and said that he functioned well and helped her a lot because it was very difficult for her. On the 20th day, he felt unwell and they dragged him out of the room. Since then his traces disappeared and we don't know anything about him."
Yocheved was released by Hamas about two weeks after she was abducted together with another hostage, Nurit Cooper, who was released on humanitarian grounds.
Family members tried to maintain optimism for a long period. However, in October, a year after the abduction, when asked about his condition in captivity she said: "It's hard for me to believe he's holding on. Oded was abducted wounded and has blood pressure problems, he would occasionally faint, and he has lung disease from smoking. If he's not getting his inhaler and not getting his pills, I don't believe he can hold on."
Oded is a father of four children. His grandson is former goalkeeper Daniel Lifshit. Since the massacre and abduction, he has been fighting to bring back his grandfather. When asked if he's preparing for the moment they meet, he said: "It's impossible to prepare for this situation, because we don't know his condition. The last thing I want is to prepare for a celebration and funeral simultaneously, it's simply impossible to contain and therefore I'm not preparing for it."
For years Oded Lifshitz was a journalist and well-known figure in the kibbutz. He was a peace activist and social activist, who volunteered to transport sick Palestinian children for life-saving treatments, from border crossings to hospitals in Israel. Yocheved and Oded established a magnificent and unique cactus garden in Nir Oz, and when the couple was abducted the beloved garden remained desolate. During his captivity, dozens of volunteers rallied to restore it in a call to bring Oded back from captivity.
Itzhak Elgarat (69): The conversation during the abduction, the persistent struggle, and concern for his fate
Itzhak Elgarat was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz while wounded in his hand. At 11:27 a.m. he called his brother Danny Elgarat, who in his past was commander of the Ashdod police station. In that conversation, the brother said: "He sounded stressed and hysterical and told me that he was seriously injured in the hand from the safe room door, he didn't even understand that he was hit by terrorist gunfire. I instructed him how to make a tourniquet, and during the conversation, I heard a noise, loud shouting in Arabic, unclear things."
Afterwards, Danny said: "he then shouted with superhuman strength: 'Danny, this is the end, Danny this is the end,' and our conversation was cut off." Triangulation done to Elgarat's phone showed that at 12:00 p.m. the phone crossed the fence border, and at 4 p.m. it was already in central Gaza.
In December 2023 returned hostages told Danny they saw his brother and that he has a scar on his hand. This information lifted Danny's spirits, who is one of the prominent voices in the struggle to return the hostages. But that didn't last long. In July 2024 Danny claimed he received a notice that his brother Itzhak was no longer among the living, but such notice was not received officially from the army.
Many times Danny passed harsh criticism on the government for not doing enough to return the hostages. After reports that the hostages in captivity in Gaza are being starved, he appeared in the Knesset and pointed an accusatory finger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We are considering criminal action. Going to the police station and filing a complaint against the prime minister for negligent homicide of 33 hostages."
Itzhak is a well-known figure in Kibbutz Nir Oz as the kibbutz maintenance man, an avid soccer fan, and a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan who plays soccer himself.
Itzhak holds Danish citizenship, where he lived after his marriage, and has two children living in Denmark. At one point it was claimed that the two are afraid to reveal their identity fearing Muslims will harm them. He's not the only family member who was abducted – like him also his brother-in-law Alex Dancyg (76). In July 2024 the IDF declared Dancyg was murdered, and a month later his body was recovered and returned to Israel.
Avera Mengistu (38): A decade-long captivity, and the family's sense of abandonment
Avera Mengistu is supposed to be released in this phase after more than a decade during which he is held in Gaza – the Israeli held the longest time by a terrorist organization.
Mengistu was born in Ethiopia in 1986. When he was five he immigrated to Israel with his parents and siblings in Operation Solomon. He grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Ashkelon alongside nine brothers and sisters. After the death of his older brother, Michael, to whom he was close, Avera began to isolate himself and conduct long walks throughout Israel.
On September 7, 2014, he left his home in Ashkelon with a backpack on his back, and walked towards Zikim beach to the security fence between Israel and Gaza Strip. IDF soldiers asked him to stop, but he continued walking, climbed the high fence, and crossed into Gaza Strip territory. He then sat among Gaza fishermen. The soldiers suspected Avera was an infiltrator from Africa who decided to cross to Gaza, and only after his Israeli ID card was found was his identity discovered.
Avera Mengistu's abduction was barely published, so much so that even then-opposition leader Isaac Herzog did not receive an update about it.
At one point he said: "I heard about Avera Avraham Mengistu from the Ethiopian community youth, during the impressive protest they led. They told about a young community member who crossed the border to Gaza and is in Hamas' hands. Their feeling was that he was completely abandoned. Upon receiving the information I went into the prime minister's office in the Knesset to inquire and understand the case."
In mid-January 2023 Hamas released a video of Avera in which he said: "I am the prisoner Avera Mengistu. Until when will I be here? After my painful years here where is the State of Israel? Who will save us from our fate?"
His brother Yaalo then referred to the video and said: "On one hand it looks like him, on the other hand, it doesn't look like him at all."
Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed (38): The border crossing and the video lying ventilated
Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed was abducted by Hamas in April 2015, at that time he independently crossed the border into the Gaza Strip through the orchards of Kibbutz Erez. In the past, he crossed the border to the Gaza Strip twice and was returned. Al-Sayed, a young Bedouin resident of Hura, suffers from schizophrenia and it's unknown in what condition he will return to his family.
Al-Sayed served in the IDF for several months and was discharged from his service. On June 28, 2022, Hamas released a video where he was seen lying on a bed awake and looking in different directions with an oxygen mask on his face. The video was distributed after Hamas announced the health deterioration of one of the captives.
Shlomo Mantzur (87): Murdered on Oct.7, his body held in Gaza
Shortly before he was supposed to return home, the IDF informed the family that Shlomo Mantzur, who was defined as the eldest hostage, was murdered on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. For almost a year and a half his family waged a struggle to return him assuming he was alive – but their hearts were broken. Mantzur is the only one on the current release list who was declared dead before returning, as Hamas did not reveal the condition of those to be released.
For more than 70 years Mantzur lived in Kibbutz Kisufim, it was his home, his protected place, but on that Saturday he was abducted from his home while his wife Mazal saw him being dragged by the terrorists.
Hamas terrorists handcuffed him, beat him, and took him by car to Gaza. The terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Kisufim conducted a massacre, murdered at least 12 of his friends, and also murdered six Thai workers.
Shlomo, who survived the Farhud pogroms in Iraq as a child, and Mazal have five children and 12 grandchildren. "He was a peace-loving man, a loving person, sensitive, honest, and kind-hearted. The mustache became one of his trademarks," said a family relative.
Currently, 59 hostages are not included in the first phase. 35 of them were defined by official sources as no longer among the living, while 24 others were not declared dead but will not be released at this stage, but in later stages. In this group are 11 young people abducted from the Nova festival, four soldiers, seven residents of communities along the border, and two foreign workers.
