What we know about the hostages released Thursday
Hamas released another group of eight Israeli hostages on Thursday, including dual nationals from Mexico, Russia and Uruguay.
It was the seventh day in a row that hostages were released under the ceasefire, which was extended early Thursday morning just minutes before it was due to expire. The lull in fighting was extended by just 24 hours, and diplomats expressed some pessimism on Friday about the prospects for another extension.
Here’s what we know about the Israeli hostages released Thursday.
Mia Schem, 21
Mia Schem, 21, a dual Israeli-French citizen, was kidnapped from the site of the Tribe of Nova music festival, where at least 260 people were killed during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
She was shown in a video released by Hamas on October 16, the first images released by the group of any of the approximately 240 hostages. In the video, she said she had surgery on her arm after being kidnapped, although the reason was unclear. (According to an analysis by The New York Times, the metadata in the video file indicates that some of the footage was filmed at least six days before release.)
Amit Soussana, 40
Amit Soussana, 40, a lawyer, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Azza, a few kilometers east of Gaza. According to the Times of Israel, she was home with a fever at the time. Her family told Israeli news organizations that Ms. Soussana hid in a safe room in her home during the October 7 attack, but the attackers were still able to reach her.
She and her family are politically left-leaning and have called for peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians. Her sister, Shira Soussana, said the kidnapping has shaken the family’s sense of security. “We don’t believe in people anymore, it’s so bad,” she said, adding: “on both sides.”
Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30
Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30, is an immigrant from Mexico, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. Ms. Gritzewsky Kimchi was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where dozens of residents were murdered by Hamas.
Nili Margalit, 41
Nili Margalit, 41, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. On the morning of the attack, she texted friends to say she had been locked in a secure room with her dog and had heard attackers walking around outside for hours, according to The Times of Israel.
Ms. Margalit works as a nurse in southern Israel at the Soroka Medical Center, the Rambam Health Care Campus said on Facebook. Another former hostage, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, told the Times of Israel that she saw Ms. Margalit caring for other people while they were held captive.
Sapir Cohen, 29
Sapir Cohen, 29, was taken hostage along with her boyfriend, Sasha Trupanob, 28, from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where they were visiting his family.
Mr. Trupanob’s mother, Yelena Trupanob, and grandmother, Irena Tati, both Russian emigres, were also taken hostage but were released on Wednesday.
It is believed that Mr Trupanob remains in Gaza.