Published on October 16, 2025 • 8-minute read
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This collection of images, shared by the Hostage’s Family Forum on October 16, 2025, features some of the deceased individuals who were held in Gaza when the most recent ceasefire began. The images include, from the top left: Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Illouz, Ran Gvili, Eitan Levi, Dror Or, Itay Chen, and Uriel Baruch. The second row from the left shows Amiram Cooper, Joshua Loitu Mollel, Tamir Nimrodi, Oz Daniel, Omer Neutra, Lior Rudaeff, Inbar Hayman, and Meny Godard. The third row from the left includes Daniel Peretz, Eliyahu Margalit, Sahar Baruch, Tamir Adar, Tal Haimi, Muhammad Al-Atarash, Hadar Goldin, and Arie Zalmanovich. (Hostage’s Family Forum via AP)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hamas has released the final 20 living hostages taken during its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. While Hamas has returned the remains of nine hostages, the process of returning the bodies of the remaining 19, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, has encountered delays.
Hamas claims it has been unable to retrieve all the remains due to them being buried under debris from Israel’s two-year military offensive in the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel has accused the militants of stalling and has threatened to resume military operations if all remains are not returned.
Here’s a look at the hostages whose remains have yet to be returned:
**Tamir Adar, 38**
Tamir Adar was a farmer and a third-generation member of kibbutz Nir Oz. He enjoyed hiking and spending time in nature with his children. As a member of the kibbutz’s emergency first responder team, he left his family in their home’s safe room to help defend the community during the Hamas attack. In his last message to his wife before he was killed, he advised her, “You don’t open for anyone, even if it’s me asking you to open.” Adar’s 85-year-old grandmother, Yaffa Adar, was kidnapped on October 7 and later released during a ceasefire. He is survived by his wife and two children.
**Sahar Baruch, 25**
Sahar Baruch, from Kibbutz Be’eri, had a passion for science, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and fantasy literature. He was an avid chess competitor and was about to start a degree in electrical engineering when he was abducted. Previously, he served in the military as a mechanic. On October 7, he and his brother, Idan, were at their mother’s house, where Idan was killed in the attack. Three months into Sahar’s captivity, the Israeli military reported that he was killed during a rescue attempt. He is survived by his parents and two siblings.