The Israel Defense Forces resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning after Hamas broke a week-long ceasefire, throwing into doubt the further release of hostages.
“The Hamas-ISIS terrorist organization has violated the framework. It has not met its obligation to release all of the women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Friday.
However, Israel’s government said it is committed to seeing that all the hostages return home.
To date, 110 people have returned to Israel. Eighty-six are Israelis and 24 foreign citizens.
According to the latest numbers, 137 remain in captivity. Of those, 117 are men and 20 women. They include 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners.
Six hostages returned on Thursday night. They are: Shani Goren, 29, Nili Margalit, 41, Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30, Sapir Cohen, 29, Bilal Ziyadne, 18, and Aisha Ziyadne, 17.
Released earlier in the day were Mia Shem, 21, and Amit Soussana, 40.
Israel has focused on the return first of women and children. Two hostages under the age of 18 remain in captivity. Ten are 75 and older. They include husbands of women already released. Hamas purposefully separated families.
Two captives were murdered by Hamas: IDF Cpl. Noa Marciano, 19, who served at the Nahal Oz base and Yehudit Weiss, 65, from Kibbutz Be’eri. Their bodies were recovered by IDF soldiers near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Hamas said on Wednesday that a mother and her two children: Shiri Bibas, 4-year-old Ariel, and 10-month-old Kfir were killed in a bombing. Israel has not independently verified the accuracy of the terror group’s claims.
Reports emerging from those released describe terrible conditions with little food or medical care.
