Key Points
- Israel says 199 hostages are being held by Hamas in Gaza.
- Hamas says it and other groups are holding 250 hostages.
- Hamas released a video of a French-Israeli woman being held.
Israel says 199 hostages are being held by Hamas in Gaza, believed to have been taken on 7 October when towns in Israel's south and
Israel has responded by threatening to wipe out Hamas and bombarding Gaza with more aerial strikes than ever before, keeping the enclave where over 3,000 people have been killed under with extremely limited access to
are Israelis and non-Israelis. Several have dual nationality and families and
A family member of three of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas holds up a photo of one of the hostages and holds her favorite doll during a press conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Source: Getty / Alexi Rosenfeld
Hamas threatened on 9 October to kill hostages in response to any unannounced Israeli strikes on civilian targets.
A top Hamas leader has said more recently the group "has what it needs" to free all Palestinians in Israel's jails, indicating the militant group may try to use the Israelis it kidnapped as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The group's armed wing then said separately the non-Israelis were "guests" who would be released "when circumstances allow".
As of August, there were about 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
In 2011, Israel swapped hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to win the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years.
Where are the hostages in Gaza from?
France's foreign ministry said 21 French nationals were killed in the 7 October attack and another 11 remained missing.
"Several are very likely hostages of Hamas. This is the case of a national, whose vile staging by Hamas in a video France condemns," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
There are thought to be 20 US citizens held hostage while Germany's government reported "eight known cases” of hostages being held.
Family members of hostages kidnapped by Hamas met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Source: Getty / Alexi Rosenfeld
Hostage video released by Hamas
The family of a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman seized by Hamas appealed for her release on Tuesday after the Islamist group released a video showing her alive.
In the footage released by Hamas late on Monday, Mia Schem, whose injured arm is shown being treated by an unidentified medical worker, identifies herself and asks to be returned to her family as quickly as possible.
"I saw that she was in stable condition but I am very worried about her," her mother Keren Schem told reporters at a press conference. Schem held a photo of her daughter, who was seized at a dance party, along with many of the other hostages abducted into Gaza.
"I'm begging the world to bring my baby back home. She only went to a party, to a festival party, to have some fun and now she's in Gaza."
Schem's family said they gave permission for the video to continue to be circulated, after it was published by Hamas.
An Israeli army spokesperson said the video was "psychological warfare."
"With the goals of this war to dismantle Hamas, the hostages remain a key priority in balancing our efforts," the spokesperson said.
The Israeli military has said it was in constant touch with Schem's family and was using "all intelligence and operational measures" for the return of the captives, whose presence at unknown locations in Gaza will greatly complicate any operation.
"Now she is in Gaza, and she is not the only one," Keren Schem said. "There are many children who went to this party, there are many babies, and children, and old people, and Holocaust survivors that were kidnapped."
Commenting on the video, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the video was "propaganda" and there was no question in his mind that the female hostage appeared under duress. He said the United States was working very hard with its partners in the region to secure the release of all hostages.
What is being done to secure the hostages' release?
As well as the US, other governments have said they will work for the release of hostages.
On Monday, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan held a call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a ministry source said, adding the two discussed the release of civilian prisoners held by the group.
The son of Canadian-Israeli woman Vivian Silver, believed to be a hostage in Gaza, has urged the Israeli government to try to win her release through negotiations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with relatives of German hostages held by Hamas and said the German government would do whatever it can to secure the hostages' release, the relatives told journalists.
"We are getting out of this meeting a little bit more affirmed but still of course worried about our dear ones and the fate and safety of all the people being held hostage by the most barbaric, cruel human beings on this earth at the moment," said Gili Romann, brother of 35-year-old Yardan Romann, who was among the hostages.
Israeli woman Shaked Haran, 10 of whose relatives are among those being held hostage, said the families needed information on their relatives' whereabouts and wellbeing.
What is Hamas?
The significant escalation is the latest boiling point in a long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas is a Palestinian military and political group, gaining power in the Gaza Strip since winning legislative elections there in 2006.
Its stated aim is to establish a Palestinian state, while refusing to recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas, in its entirety, is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.
Some countries list only its military wing as a terrorist group.
Other countries voted against a UN resolution condemning Hamas in its entirety, as a terrorist organisation.
