Hostage release raises hopes – and fears – for two captives whose fate is unknown

Twenty living hostages are expected to be returned to Israel on Monday, raising questions regarding the fate of two captives thought to be in mortal danger.

By World Israel News Staff

The planned return by Hamas on Monday of hostages has elated some hostage families while at the same time highlighting the difficulties facing relatives of captives whose fate remains unclear.

Hamas is expected to hand over to Israel all living hostages Monday morning and the bodies of slain captives the group has been able to locate.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Hamas has notified Israel, via Arab intermediaries, that the terror group has located all 20 surviving hostages and is prepared to transfer them to Israel early.

A report by the BBC said that Hamas has conditioned the early return of the hostages on Israel accepting Hamas’ demand that at least two of its seven choices of jailed terrorists be released as part of the deal securing the hostages’ release.

The Journal report has raised concerns among the relatives of two hostages who have been listed by Israeli intelligence officials as being in mortal danger for months.

Of the 48 total hostages still held in Gaza, 26 are believed by Israeli intelligence to be dead, with 20 more presumed to be alive.

It remains whether the two remaining captives have survived.

In May, Israel revealed that there were serious concerns regarding the condition of three of the hostages. A month later, Israeli forces recovered the remains of one of the three: Pinta “Nick” Nattapong.

A Thai farmer working at Kibbutz Nir Oz, Nattapong was taken into captivity in Gaza alive on October 7, 2023. According to the IDF, Nattapong was likely executed by Hamas terrorists after several months in captivity.

Questions remain regarding Bipin Joshi, a Nepali exchange student working in an agricultural program and the only Hindu held captive in Gaza, and Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli Defense Ministry worker who coordinated humanitarian aid transfers into Gaza before he was taken hostage in 2023.

According to a report by Channel 12‘s Almog Boker, the families of Joshi and Nimrodi have heard no new information regarding their condition, noting that the two are still officially listed as living and that their names were included on Israel’s list of living hostages that was transferred to Hamas.

Last week, Herut Nimrodi, Tamir’s mother, told the BBC she was “fearing the worst” even as she clung to the hope that he was “still hanging on” after more than two years in captivity.