Israel says eight hostages to be released in first phase have died.

Israel says eight hostages to be  released in first phase  have died.
Not a valid attachment ID.
Israel says eight of the remaining 26 hostages  scheduled to be released by Hamas  in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal  have died.
Government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that Israel had received a list  overnight from the Palestinian armed group  providing information on the status of the  hostages.
"The Hamas list matches  Israeli intelligence, so I can  tell you that... eight have been killed by Hamas," he said, without naming them. "The families have been  notified of the  condition of their  loved ones."
Seven women have already been  released alive in exchange for more than 290 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails since the ceasefire on  January 19. On Sunday  evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced  that Hamas had agreed to release civilian Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and  another hostage on  Thursday.
Three more hostages  will be released by the group on Saturday,  it said.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on October  7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken  hostage.
More than 47,310 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health  ministry.
Israel says 87 of the hostages remain in captivity, 34 of whom are presumed dead. In addition, three Israelis were  kidnapped before the war, one of whom  died.
One of the hostages  that Israel says  must be released first is Or Levy, 34, who was attending the Nova music festival with his wife Eynav on October  7, 2023.
The couple, whose son Almog is now  three, fled to a roadside bomb shelter after  an attack by Hamas  gunmen. Eynav was killed  in the shelter while Or was kidnapped and  returned to  Gaza.
At the Tel  Aviv hostage square over the weekend, Ori's brother Michael told the BBC that waiting to  learn the  status of the  26 remaining hostages was like being  immersed in "a reality  invented by the devil himself and part of  a 'devil's show' from which Hamas  benefits". He also said he had received no indication when Or would be  released and  that there would be what he described as  "an end date  for this  nightmare."
Michael also said he feared Hamas could delay his  brother's release even further.
"We can't just  sit back and hope for the best. We have to keep going. And until  he's there, I  won't believe  it's really happened."
On Saturday,  after the release of four female Israeli soldiers in the second  ceasefire exchange, the Israeli military spokesman said he was "extremely concerned" for the well-being of the three hostages  — Shiri Bibas, 33, and her two sons, Kfir, two, and Ariel,  five. In November 2023, Hamas claimed they  were killed in an Israeli  airstrike. However, the Israeli military has not confirmed their deaths and the Israeli government has insisted they  were among the 33 hostages  surrendered in the first  phase.
Negotiations for the second phase  – which  would see  the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for more prisoners, a full  withdrawal of Israeli  troops and  the "restoration of  a lasting calm" – are due to  begin on 4  February.
The third and final  phase would involve the reconstruction of Gaza, which could take years, and the return of  the bodies of the remaining  hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is demanding that the Israeli government implement all three phases and ensure the return of  all hostages. "We are not  complete without  everyone. Our nation needs everyone at home, together.  Every last  pedestrian," he said.
Separately, the deputy chief of the Israeli  army's medical corps said  that some of  the seven  recently released hostages had spent  "all their time in  underground tunnels" in recent  months.
"Some of them were alone the entire time they were  there," Colonel Avi Banov said, according to  the Reuters news agency. "Those who said they were together were in better  shape." »
The hostages said their treatment improved in the days  before their release, when they were allowed to shower, change clothes and  receive better food, he  added.

[attachment deleted by admin]