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JERUSALEM: Israelis on Monday celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages who were held in Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Over the next two days, Hamas said it also released bodies of eight hostages. However, the Israeli military said Wednesday one of the bodies released was not that of a hostage.
Palestinians rejoiced at Israel’s release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire’s first part.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The ensuing war has killed more than 67,600 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday.
The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
Here are details on the hostages:
Total hostages taken during Oct. 7 attack: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: four (two who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
Living hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 160
Bodies of hostages released in deals: 15
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
Hostages rescued alive: eight
Bodies of hostages still in captivity: 21
Non-Israeli whose bodies are still in Gaza: 3 (including 2 Thai nationals and 1 Tanzanian)

DUBAI: Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Wednesday ordered the formation of a joint forensic task force and a high-level investigative committee to examine the killing of election candidate Safaa Al-Mashhadani in a bomb attack north of Baghdad.

The committee was tasked with determining who was responsible for the attack, which struck Al-Mashhadani’s vehicle in the Tarmiya district early on Wednesday.

According to the Baghdad Operations Command, a “sticky bomb” had been placed under Al-Mashhadani’s car, killing him and injuring four others.

Al Mashhadani, a member of the Baghdad Provincial Council, was running in next month’s parliamentary elections as part of the Siyada Coalition led by Sunni politician and businessman Khamis Al-Khanjar.

Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani condemned the assassination and called for accountability, describing the attack as an attempt to destabilize Iraq ahead of the vote. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Security officials said the use of magnetic explosive devices under vehicles mirrors tactics used by militant groups in Iraq in previous years.

The bombing raises concerns about security and political violence as Iraq prepares for national elections next month.