Who are the remaining 14 hostages slated for release in Phase 1 of the hostage deal?

Yesterday, the sixth hostage release took place, in which three Israeli men are expected to be released from Hamas and Islamic Jihad captivity: Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, Sagi Dekel-Chen, and Yair Horn, joining the 16 hostages released so far.

As part of the final phases of the first stage, 14 additional hostages are expected to be released, including six who are still alive: Omer Wenkert, Elia Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Avera Mengistu, Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed, Itzik Elgart, Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz, Tzachi Idan, and Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas.

This coming Saturday (February 22), three more hostages are expected to be released in the seventh phase. Nine additional hostages will be released in the last week, along with Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed. Simultaneously, discussions about the second stage of the deal are supposed to take place - though currently delayed.

Israel is pushing to get the six living hostages out this week.

The 14 Remaining Hostages to be Released in the First Stage of the Deal

Shiri Bibas (32) and Her Two Sons, Ariel (5) and Kfir (2)

On October 7, four members of the Bibas family were kidnapped from Nir Oz. They were captured separately, with father Yarden (34) returning home in the current deal to the terrible news that his family is still captive in Gaza, and their fate remains uncertain. Since the kidnapping, an entire nation has been praying for the safe return of mother Shiri and the two redheaded children, Ariel and Kfir, who was kidnapped when he was just 10 months old.

The video of Shiri's (32) capture, holding her children, was filmed by Hamas terrorists, spread on social media, and made waves. Additionally, a video of Shiri with the two children in Gaza was released by the IDF spokesperson, but this was the last documentation of them.

In a video released in February 24, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were seen being taken to Khan Yunis in Gaza. The IDF spokesperson presented the video in his statement. In the footage, several terrorists can be seen forcing Shiri to wrap herself in fabric. They were put in another vehicle and transferred elsewhere. "From the information we have, we are very worried and concerned about the wellbeing of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir," said IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari several weeks ago. Since then, an entire nation has been waiting to hear what happened to them.

"A year and two months have passed since the previous deal collapsed, during which Hamas announced that Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir were killed and they weren't released," the family members wrote. "We said then and we'll say now, we maintain hope and wait for their return. We're waiting to receive certainty about their condition. The list transferred by Hamas to Israel regarding the hostages' condition is not a list of names and doesn't change our position." Both of Shiri's parents, Yossi and Margit Silverman, who also lived in Nir Oz, were murdered in the attack on the kibbutz, and their house was set on fire.

Eliya Cohen (27): The Festival Kidnapping, the Video, and the Fiancée Waiting for Him

During the last week, Elia Cohen's (27) family received a sign of life from him through returned hostages. According to his mother, Siggy Cohen, she received testimonies that her son is being held in a tunnel, chained, wounded in his legs from gunfire, without food and suffering from abuse. In June 24, a video of his kidnapping in a pickup truck with three other hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Or Levi, was released.

Eliya was at the Nova festival in Re'im with his partner Ziv Abud. After rocket fire began, they reached a shelter that became a death trap. With them were Ziv's nephew, Amit Ben Avida, and his partner Karin Schwarzman z"l. Amit and Karin were murdered, Elia was taken to Gaza.

Ziv Abud was injured, and since then hasn't stopped fighting for Eliya's release from captivity, and even revealed that he had intended to propose to her.

Tal Shoham (40): The Visit to Be'eri, the Kidnapping, and the Children Who Returned from Captivity

Tal Shoham was kidnapped to Gaza along with his family, including his two young children from Kibbutz Be'eri, where they were visiting.

That terrible Saturday, the Shoham family came from the community settlement of Ma'ale Tzvia in the Lower Galilee to visit grandmother Shoshan Haran. During the attack, armed terrorists entered the house, family members hid in the safe room for many hours, but at some point contact with them was lost. Later, it was reported that they were kidnapped.

Tal (38), his wife Adi (38), and their two young children Nave (8) and Yahel (3) were taken to Gaza. However, while the mother and children returned after 50 long days, the family's father remained behind. Tal is a sensitive and loving person, intelligent and profound. He has many and varied interests, great curiosity, and connects easily with everyone.

His little daughter Yahel described in the words of a four-year-old what she's going through: "We see lots of daddies, just not our daddy..." Yahel drew her father spreading his arms for a hug and smiling, saying: "He does this with his arms and no one comes to him."

Omer Wenkert (22): The Phone Found in the Field and the Intestinal Disease He Suffers From

On October 7, Omer Wenkert (22) came to enjoy and dance with his good friend, Kim, at the Nova Festival in Re'im. When the terrorist attack began, they tried to save themselves.

Omer texted with his parents during the attack while in a shelter. At 7:01 AM he wrote to them - "Terrifying, missiles overhead," then wrote: "F*ck, there are shots here mom." He reported explosions and when asked if he was okay, he answered no. Then he added "I'm terrified."

During the day, it was discovered that Kim was murdered and Omer was kidnapped to Gaza. His family found out about this from a video distributed by Hamas, where he was lying in a pickup truck, surrounded by terrorists, and from one particularly painful photo - where he was handcuffed.

Before being kidnapped, Omer managed a large restaurant and was supposed to start culinary studies. His mother, Niva, keeps Omer's mobile phone in an envelope, after it was found by a soldier in the field about a month after the kidnapping. The phone itself is shattered to pieces and tells of the horrors that happened in that shelter.

Shortly after the kidnapping, his mother Niva Wenkert said: "We saw pictures of him alive and well. My son is sick with colitis. There are medications he takes regularly. There is danger if he doesn't receive the medications. I appeal to Hamas - it's on your heads, the children and elderly who won't receive their medications. It's on your heads."

Dr. Adi Fox, his family doctor, said at the time: "Omer is diagnosed with colitis, he is on regular treatment of Rafasol. If he loses blood, he will become anemic and need iron. This medication requires treatment and a quiet environment. He is suffering and it can lead to immediate life danger. This is why the World Health Organization needs to release him to receive treatment and save his life."

Omer's story is particularly painful given that his grandmother Tzili is a Holocaust survivor. "It's as if someone took a big hammer to the head," she said. "All my pains were opened. This is the worst thing that happened to me. This is my real Holocaust. Then I was a baby. Then I had a family. Now, who will protect me? They're all in trouble. I hurt for Omer, but I also hurt for my child, my son, Omer's father."

Shai Wenkert, Omer's father, said at one of the rallies: "We're out of strength, but in every little corner, in every fiber of the body I have additional strength, because I have no right to give up, I have no right to sleep and do other things. 24/7 this is my life's mission and we will bring everyone home."

Tzachi Idan (56): The Daughter Murdered Before His Eyes, the Kidnapping Broadcast Live, and the Sign of Life

On the Black Saturday, Tzachi Idan was brutally kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. This happened in front of his wife Gali and children Yael (12) and Shahar (10), after his daughter Maayan (18) was murdered beside him and in front of the rest of the family while the two were holding the safe room door.

The young son Shahar asked the terrorist if he was going to kill his father Tzachi and the terrorist told him: "If I kill him, I'll do it in another room." Tzachi said "This is crazy." He was dejected, finished. His wife Gali added and told: "We know that Tzachi left in a very shocked state."

For many long days, Tzachi's family didn't know what happened to him, until the hostages returned, including women and children in November 2023. Then, freed captive Hagar Brodetz told his family members with the Shin Bet's approval about their meeting in captivity inside Gaza. From the publication, it appears that Hagar is the only one who met Tzachi in captivity for 48 hours before she was released.

Ohad Yahalomi (50): The Attempt to Protect His Family and the Young Son Who Was Kidnapped and Returned

Ohad Yahalomi (50) was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. That Saturday, he barricaded himself in the safe room with his wife Bat-Sheva and their three children. Since the safe room door wouldn't close, he went outside to protect his family and close the door from the outside. When the terrorists entered the house, he was shot and wounded by gunfire and he saw Bat-Sheva and the children being kidnapped before his eyes. Later it was discovered that Ohad was also kidnapped.

Amazingly, Bat-Sheva and their two young daughters managed to escape from the terrorists just before they crossed the fence into Gaza. However, son Eitan, age 12, was kidnapped but released as part of the hostage deal after 52 days in captivity. Ohad remained behind.

Oded Lifshitz (84): The Grandson Who Keeps Fighting and the Cactus Garden Waiting for His Return

Oded Lifshitz (84), one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7 along with his wife Yocheved Lifshitz. They were in their home in the kibbutz when the attack began, shortly after five terrorists broke into their safe room, Oded was shot in his hand and fainted, Yocheved was forcibly dragged from the bed and they were taken to Gaza. During the first days after the kidnapping, he stayed in an apartment in Khan Yunis, however, at some point his traces disappeared.

"After 50 days when the released girls came out, it turned out that one of them, a member of Nir Oz, was with him," Yocheved said. "And then she told us that he was alive and that he helped her a lot because it was very difficult for her. On the twentieth day he felt unwell and they dragged him out of the room. And since then, we don't know anything about him."

Yocheved was released by Hamas terrorists about two weeks after being kidnapped together with fellow hostage Nurit Cooper - her release for "humanitarian reasons."

Itzik Elgart (69): The Conversation During Kidnapping, the Persistent Struggle, and Concern for His Fate

Itzik (Yitzhak) Elgart, age 69, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz apparently while wounded in his hand. At 11:27 he called his brother Danny Elgart, who in his past was the commander of the Ashdod police station. In that conversation, the brother said: "He sounded stressed and hysterical, and told that he was seriously injured in the hand from the safe room door, didn't even understand that he was hit by terrorist gunfire. I instructed him how to make a tourniquet, and during the conversation I heard noise. Loud shouting in Arabic ... he shouted with all his might: 'Danny, this is the end, Danny this is the end' - and our conversation was cut off." A location trace done to Elgart's phone showed that at 12:00 the phone was located past the border fence, and by 16:00 it was already in central Gaza.

Avera Mengistu (38): Release After More Than a Decade and the Family's Sense of Abandonment

Avera Mengistu is supposed to be released in this phase, happening terribly after more than a decade during which he is held in Gaza, the Israeli held the longest time by a terrorist organization.

Mengistu was born in Ethiopia in 1986. When he was five years old, he immigrated to Israel with his parents and siblings in Operation Solomon. He grew up in a one-room apartment in Ashkelon alongside nine brothers and sisters. After the death of his older brother, Michael, to whom he was close, Avera began to isolate himself and conduct long walks throughout Israel.

On September 7, 2014, he left his home in Ashkelon with a backpack, walked about ten kilometers towards Zikim Beach and up to the security fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

IDF soldiers called for him to stop but he continued walking, climbed the high fence and crossed into Gaza territory. He then sat among Gaza fishermen. The soldiers suspected Avera was an infiltrator from Africa who decided to cross to Gaza and only after his Israeli ID was found, was his identity discovered.

Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed (38): Crossing the Border and the Video Ventilated Lying Down

Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed was kidnapped by Hamas in April 2015, at which time he independently crossed the border with the Gaza Strip through the orchards of Kibbutz Erez. In the past, he crossed the border to the Gaza Strip twice and was returned. Al-Sayed, a young Bedouin resident of Hura, suffers from schizophrenia and it is not known in what condition he will return to his family.

Al-Sayed served in the IDF for several months and was discharged from his service. On June 28, 2022, Hamas released a video in which he is seen lying on a bed awake and looking in different directions while wearing an oxygen mask. The video was distributed after Hamas announced the deterioration in health of one of the captives.

Shlomo Mansour (87): Murdered on October 7 - His Body Held in the Strip

Shortly before he was supposed to return home, the IDF informed the family that Shlomo Mansour, who was defined as the oldest hostage, was murdered on October 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. For almost a year and a half, his family conducted a struggle to return him assuming he was alive - but their hearts were broken. Mansour is the only one on the current list of released hostages who was declared dead before returning - as Hamas did not reveal the condition of those to be released.

For over 70 years Mansour lived and breathed Kibbutz Kisufim, it was his home, his safe place, but on that black Saturday he was kidnapped from his home while his wife Mazal saw him being dragged by the terrorists.

Hamas terrorists handcuffed him, beat him and took him by car to Gaza. The terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Kisufim conducted a massacre, killed at least 12 of his friends, and also killed six Thai workers.

Shlomo, who survived the Farhud riots as a child, and Mazal have five children and 12 grandchildren. He was a peace-loving man, a sensitive person straight and kind-hearted.

Currently, 59 hostages are not included in the first stage. 35 of them have been officially designated as deceased, while 24 others haven't been declared dead but will not be released at this stage, rather in subsequent stages. This group includes 11 young people kidnapped from the Nova festival, four soldiers, seven residents of the Gaza envelope, and two foreign workers.

Israel Hayom contributed to this article.