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Axios

Politics

What to know about the 20 living hostages released by Hamas

Hamas the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Ariel (Person) Israel Nova (Event) Arbel Yehoud David Cunio Donald Trump Evyatar David Gali

Hamas on Monday released all 20 living hostages who were held in Gaza for more than two years.

The big picture: President Trump declared the war in Gaza over following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal in the two-year campaign that killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.

But the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said a Monday statement that the "struggle is not over" and won't end "until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial."
As part of the agreement reached last week, Hamas must also return the bodies of 28 deceased hostages, including two Americans. On Monday, Hamas via the Red Cross gave Israel four hostages' bodies.

Driving the news: In return for the hostages, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners who were serving life sentences and 1,700 who were detained by the IDF in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attacks.

Freed Palestinians were also welcomed by cheering crowds and loved ones in the West Bank and Gaza Monday, per multiple reports.

Here's what to know about the 20 men who were released from Hamas.

Ariel and David Cunio

Brothers Ariel, 28, and David Cunio, 35, were abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz, per the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

David's wife and daughters were also taken but were previously released, as was Ariel's partner, Arbel Yehoud, under prior ceasefire agreements.
"For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day," Yehoud said in a statement.

Avinatan Or

Avinatan Or, 32, was taken from the Nova music festival where hundreds were killed and captured. Per NBC, he worked for Nvidia in Israel.

His girlfriend, Noa Argamani, was rescued in a military operation last year.

Bar Kupershtein

Bar Kupershtein, 23, previously served as a solider and was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a security guard and stayed behind to provide medical aid during the attack, CBS News reported.

"Two years of an impossible journey, two years in which we did everything we could so that everyone would know who Bar is. Now everyone will get to truly know him," his family said in a statement.

Eitan Horn

Eitan Horn, 39, was taken from Nir Oz. He immigrated to Israel from Argentina in 2002, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which described him as an "educator in every sense of the word."

His brother, Iair Horn, also survived Hamas captivity and was released after 498 days.

Elkana Bohbot

Elkana Bohbot, 36, was also taken during the music festival massacre. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was well-known in Jerusalem's nightlife scene and worked as a logistics coordinator for the festival.

His wife shared a video online of their emotional reunion, captioned, "I am complete now." Bohbot also has a 5-year-old son.

Maksym Harkin

Maksym Harkin, a 37-year-old father who moved to Israel from Ukraine, was taken from the Nova music festival.

His family said in a statement that he "endured a difficult period under inhumane conditions and showed us once again how much physical and mental strength he possesses."

Matan Zangauker

Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken from Nir Oz with his partner, Ilana Gritzewsky, who was previously released.

His mother, who embraced him for the first time in more than two years, fiercely advocated for his return, becoming one of the leading faces of the movement to return the hostages, per the BBC.

Nimrod Cohen

Nimrod Cohen, a 21-year-old solider, was taken from a tank where he was stationed in southern Israel, PBS reported. He was the sole survivor of the attack.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he loves solving Rubik's Cubes — and a burned one was found in the tank from which he was taken.

Rom Braslavski

Rom Braslavski, also 21, demonstrated "extraordinary heroism" at the Nova music festival before he was taken, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Earlier this year, the Islamic Jihad militant group shared a video of a withered Braslavski, NBC reported.

Evyatar David

Evyatar David, a 24-year-old musician, was also taken while attending the Nova music festival. He has since been reunited with his parents.

Segev Kalfon

Segev Kalfon, 27, was taken from the Nova music festival.

Kalfon, a resident of Dimona, worked at his family's bakery, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Yosef-Chaim Ohana

Yosef Chaim Ohana, 25, is a bartender who was kidnapped from the Nova musical festival, where witnesses said he tried to help others escape, PBS reported.

His father, Avi Ohana, said his family is "filled with happiness" over his return and called for the "swift return" of the deceased hostages' bodies.

Omri Miran

Omri Miran, a 48-year-old father of two, is the oldest of the hostages released Monday. He was taken from the Nahal Oz kibbutz.

His 2-year-old daughter was only six months old when he was taken, per the Times of Israel.

Matan Angrest

Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israeli soldier, was taken from his tank. Like Nimrod Cohen, he was the sole survivor of the attack, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

His family members have been openly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, PBS reports.

Gali and Ziv Berman

Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28, were abducted from the Kfar Aza kibbutz.

The pair work together and love to travel, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, was taken from the Nova music festival.

In a photo shared Monday by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he can be seen hugging fellow former hostage Evyatar David, his childhood friend.