How many hostages are left in Gaza?

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Israel's military said Thursday that Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Israel identified them as Yair Yaakov, who was killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel and whose body was taken into Gaza, and the body of a second hostage whose identity was not disclosed. Yaakov's partner and two children were also taken captive and released in a ceasefire deal early in the war.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/06/2025 (316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Israel’s military said Thursday that Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Israel identified them as Yair Yaakov, who was killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel and whose body was taken into Gaza, and the body of a second hostage whose identity was not disclosed. Yaakov’s partner and two children were also taken captive and released in a ceasefire deal early in the war.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bodies were recovered in a “complex” operation from Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Over the past week, Israel has recovered the bodies of five hostages, including one Thai hostage.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7 attack. More than 55,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ensuing conflict, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.

This undated photo provided by Hostages Family Forum shows Israeli hostages Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies have been recovered from Gaza by Israeli security forces. (Hostage's Family Forum via AP)
This undated photo provided by Hostages Family Forum shows Israeli hostages Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies have been recovered from Gaza by Israeli security forces. (Hostage's Family Forum via AP)

Here are details on the hostages:

Total hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023: 251

Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: 4, including 2 who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of 2 soldiers killed in the 2014 war

Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 148, of whom 8 were dead

Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 46

Hostages rescued alive: 8

Hostages still in captivity: 53, of whom Israel believes 30 are dead. Netanyahu has said there are “doubts” about the fate of several more.

Narissara Chantasang, fifth from left, wife of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai laborer who was taken hostage by Hamas attends a silent memorial service near a coffin containing his body at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province Thailand, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Narissara Chantasang, fifth from left, wife of Nattapong Pinta, a Thai laborer who was taken hostage by Hamas attends a silent memorial service near a coffin containing his body at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province Thailand, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

The hostages in captivity include four non-Israelis: 2 Thais and 1 Tanzanian who have been confirmed dead, and a Nepalese captive.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

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