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The first phase of the cease-fire deal calls for the release of 33 hostages, including women, children, men over 50 and sick and wounded people. Three hostages were released on the first day of the deal.
- Published Jan. 18, 2025Updated Jan. 20, 2025, 5:42 a.m. ET
The cease-fire reached between Israel and Hamas sets in motion the release of dozens of hostages that Hamas and its allies have been holding in Gaza since the start of the war more than a year ago.
About 100 hostages, living and dead, are thought to be held captive in Gaza. Most of them were seized when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in an attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw about 250 taken hostage.
According to the deal, 33 remaining hostages are being freed during an initial six-week phase of the cease-fire, the first major release since a weeklong truce in November 2023. In exchange, Israel is releasing more than 1,000 imprisoned Palestinians. .
Three hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners have already been freed in the first phase of the cease-fire agreement. Here is what else we know about the releases.
Who are the hostages being released?
The 33 hostages who will be released in the first phase include female soldiers and civilians, children, men over 50 and sick and wounded “humanitarian” cases.
The hostages who fit that profile include young female soldiers abducted from a military base; older men dragged from border villages near the Gaza Strip; and two young children, one of whom was less than a year old during the Hamas-led attack.
