Who are the American hostages in Gaza set to be released?
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President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire deal on Wednesday, which is set to end the 15-month conflict. At least two American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza will be returned to their families as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, according to several reports.
![[Jonathan Dekel-Chen (center) told The Independent he’s in the dark about his son’s fate]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/23/11/Biden_Hostages_98481.jpg)
The Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack in Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. In response, Israel launched a 15-month offensive in Gaza, killing more than 46,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.
Siegel and Dekel-Chen are expected to be released during the first phase of the agreement. However, Dekel-Chen’s father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, told The Independent he still has very little information about his son’s status. “I’m a parent of a hostage who is completely in the dark,” he said. “We don’t have solid information about Sagui or any of the other hostages, who is alive or who is not.”.
Phase one of the deal states that Hamas officials will release a total of 33 hostages, many of whom are children, women and people over 50. In return, Israeli officials will release 50 Palestinian prisoners held in their jails for every Israeli female soldier released by Hamas, and 30 Palestinian prisoners for other hostages held by Hamas.
Phase two of the agreement will include negotiating a permanent end to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden said. “During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get phase two, which is a permanent end of the war. Let me say it again: A permanent end of the war,” he noted.
