Israel’s agonising choice over which hostages to save

Only 20 of the hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza are believed to be alive. A ceasefire deal being negotiated is expected to bring an agonising choice over whom to free – Israel can only pick 10.

Families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip outside the US embassy in Tel Aviv. Picture: Getty Images.

Only 20 of the hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza are believed to be alive. A ceasefire deal being negotiated is expected to bring an agonising choice over whom to free. Israel can pick only 10.

“It’s Schindler’s list,” said Anat Angrest, the mother of captive soldier Matan Angrest, 22, who said her son was injured. “I don’t understand how the state can choose who should stay in hell.” Israel and Hamas are now hammering out a deal that would see the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. A deal appears to be closer than at any point in recent months.

In two previous ceasefire rounds, the decisions, while painful, were easier to rationalise in some ways. Priority was given to civilian women, children and the elderly. Next in line were female soldiers or men who were injured.

Now, all of the living hostages are men, and they are all likely to be in a deteriorating mental and physical state. For the families still waiting, the decision is creating deep despair.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for comment about how it chooses which hostages should be released.

Ilay David knows his brother, Evyatar David, 24, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, is likely not a top priority for release as he is young and uninjured, even if he faces harsh conditions in captivity.

“We understood early on that Evyatar … was never going to be among the first,” Mr David said. But for Evyatar to be left behind again would shatter him, he said. “This knowledge that your brother is still there, still suffering, is really unbearable. I pray that we won’t reach a situation where he is left there.”

Evyatar David is still in captivity.

Hostage families have insisted any deal should include the release of all hostages at once rather than in phases. Many families are angry at the Israeli government over the partial deals it has negotiated. Hamas has said it would release all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, something Israel refuses to do until the group is defeated.

“By insisting on choosing partial deals, the Israeli government has created with its own hands the system of selection,” said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group that represents most of the families.

In addition to the 20 men Israel believes to be alive, there are also two men Israel has said it has “severe concern for their lives”, language typically used by the military when hostages are likely to be deceased but haven’t yet been declared dead. There are also the bodies of 28 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.

For hostage families, the impending deal is fostering a sense of panic over whether their loved ones will make it on to the list. The inclusion of one hostage means another won’t make it out, making any choice a painful outcome for families who have bonded and together lobbied the world over 21 months of war.

Macabit Mayer, whose twin nephews, Gali and Ziv Berman, 27, are being held in Gaza, says she can’t sleep. She closes her eyes, but finds herself in a state of constant tension, ready to grab her phone or turn on the television for breaking news. Her heart beats faster and she dreads a phone call informing her of the worst.

“It’s like a nightmare you just can’t wake up from,” Ms Mayer said. “Everyone is in a very extreme situation,” she added, referring to hostage families waiting to see if they will make the list.

Keith Siegel, a 66-year-old former hostage, points to a picture of hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, with whom he was held in captivity. Picture; AFP.

While the exact criteria for inclusion on the list are still unclear, there is speculation it could include the injured, wounded or men with children, say people close to the families. Many hostage families are emphasising the poor medical condition of their relatives in interviews, and some are compiling medical files in hope it could influence authorities.

But some medical professionals say that giving priority to the most vulnerable after 21 months will prove professionally impossible because of limited information and ethical implications.

“I really don’t think that the medical teams at this point in time can determine who is more at risk and who is less at risk,” said Hagai Levine, a doctor who heads the health team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Dr Levine, who has compiled medical files for each hostage since the start of the war, says there is no up-to-date information on the precise medical state of each hostage and that he relies on released hostages’ testimonies and Hamas videos. “It’s like treating a patient with a heart disease based on his EKG from three months ago,” he said.

Families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip during a protest outside the US embassy in Tel Aviv. Picture: Getty Images.

In recent days, Einav Zangauker, whose son, Matan, 25, was kidnapped from a kibbutz, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, whom she hugged. It was a surprising display of affection toward the Netanyahus. Ms Zangauker has been one of the Prime Minister’s fiercest critics over his refusal to end the war for the release of all the hostages. She later said Mr Netanyahu had assured her in the meeting he would free all the hostages. She declined to comment for this article.

The deal being discussed in Doha, Qatar includes a stipulation that the two sides are supposed to immediately enter into negotiations for a second stage that would end the war and free the remaining hostages.

Some fear the second stage will never come. A previous ceasefire deal earlier this year never reached a second stage after Israel resumed fighting in the enclave. Hamas has sought stronger guarantees from mediators that talks will proceed to an end to the war, something Israel has so far refused.

Parents of soldiers held in Gaza are especially worried because they have heard from released hostages that soldiers are treated worse than civilians and face violence and interrogations by militants. Previous ceasefire deals placed soldiers in the last category for release. They fear they could be left for last. Out of the 20, two were soldiers captured in uniform.

Some families of soldiers say they feel betrayed by their government because it failed to protect their loved ones during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks that started the war, and now could be leaving them behind again. Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli citizen, is the only soldier captured in uniform who has so far been freed in a deal. That deal was between the US and Hamas, and did not include Israel.

In Israel, where military service is mandatory at age 18, many Israelis believe the oath taken by a soldier to protect the state means the country will do everything to protect him in return.

“My Matan is a soldier and our country didn’t fight for the soldiers as part of the deals,” Ms Angrest, said. “This contract has been broken.”

Dow Jones