33 Israeli Hostages Expected to Be Released in Deal with Hamas During Final Days of Biden's Presidency

Mar. 15, 2025

Demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas.Photo:JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty

Demonstrators take part in a protest calling for action to secure the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since the October 2023, in front of the Israeli defence ministry in Tel Aviv on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Hamas has approved a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, Palestinian sources close to negotiations said on January 15, after mediator Qatar expressed hope an agreement to end the war could be reached very soon.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty

Thirty-three Israeli hostages are expected to be released fromHamas, mediators announced, through an emerging ceasefire deal to pause the fighting.

The release of the hostages comes as part of an agreement — the first phase of which is set to include a 42-day ceasefire — that reached its final stages on Wednesday, Jan. 15,according to The Associated Press. The agreement, negotiated in Doha, Qatar, will pause the 15 months of fighting in Gaza, which began with Hamas’attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

CNNreports that Israel plans to enact the deal immediately after finalization — which seems imminent, the senior Israeli official said on Monday, Jan. 13.

The official told reporters that their government believes most of the 33 hostages are alive, though the return of bodies of the deceased will likely also be a part of the first phase of the deal.

Women check their phones at a bus stop decorated with portraits of Israelis hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct.7 2023 attack by Hamas militants, in Jerusalem on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Key mediator Qatar said negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal were in their “final stages” on January 14, expressing hope an agreement could be reached “very soon”.

HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty

Hamas has reportedly taken a total of 251 hostages since its initial attack, with 91 presently remaining in captivity. Of the 91, at least 34 are dead, the Israeli government stated.

President Joe Biden shared hopeful remarks about the agreement on Monday, stating that the United States is working hard to help finalize the deal before his term ends on Monday, Jan. 20.

“The deal we have structured would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel, and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started," Biden said, adding, “They have been through hell.”

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Now that the first phase of the deal — the release of hostages over a 42-day ceasefire — has been finalized, negotiations for the second phase are expected to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire.

The second phase is intended to end the war, CNN reports.

source: people.com

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