Hamas Releases 2 More Slain Hostages, 13 Still Held Captive by Terror Group

Latest Developments

• 2 Hostage Bodies Returned: Hamas released the remains of two slain hostages on October 21. Israeli forensic teams later identified the bodies as Arie Zalmanowicz, who was 85, and Master Sgt. (Res.) Tamir Adar, who was 38. Zalmanowicz was abducted by the Palestinian terrorist group from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities, while Adar was killed fighting Hamas terrorists as part of Nir Oz’s security team. The International Committee of the Red Cross received the bodies from Hamas inside Gaza before transferring them to IDF troops.
• 13 Slain Hostages Still Held by Hamas: The return of Zalmanowicz and Adar means that Hamas now holds 13 slain hostages in Gaza. Hamas released the last 20 living hostages on October 13 but has since been slow to release the remains of 28 slain hostages it is obligated to return. The father of slain American hostage Omer Neutra, whose body, along with that of one other American, has yet to be returned by Hamas, stated on October 21 that he believes that Hamas has “a much larger knowledge of where the deceased hostages are.” Omer’s mother, Orna, accused Hamas of “playing games, because that’s what they do.”
• Hamas Retains Over Half Its Tunnels, Hundreds of Rockets: Israel’s Channel 12 news reported on October 22 that Hamas still retains hundreds of rockets, some of them medium-range, capable of striking the central region of Israel. Additionally, new data suggests that over half of Hamas’s tunnels constructed before the war are still active after two years of fighting. The report also estimates that Hamas still has approximately 20,000 terrorists active within its ranks, although most have undergone only limited training.

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas has been able to locate and return 15 of the slain hostages since phase one of President Trump’s 20-point ceasefire went into effect, but the terrorist organization must return the remaining 13 hostages immediately in order to further advance the truce. With the group testing the limits of the deal, serious questions must now be raised about the prospects of Hamas agreeing to and implementing further phases of Trump’s plan, which will require full disarmament.”— Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“The Israeli government’s stated goal of disarming Hamas was always an ambitious one. For years, Hamas has amassed a vast and deeply entrenched arsenal within the Gaza Strip. Dismantling such a network would have required sustained, methodical operations over years. Thus, Israel effectively ran out of time to achieve complete disarmament, an objective that from the outset was far more complex than policymakers in Jerusalem may have anticipated.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘Impatience With Hamas’: Vance Expresses Confidence in Prospects for ‘Durable’ Peace in Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief

“Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Israel Following Hamas’s Deadly Ceasefire Violation,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Increasing Pressure on Hamas to Return Remaining 19 Deceased Hostages,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Turns Its Guns on Gaza’s Clans,” by Ahmad Sharawi