“No news”: despite initial releases of hostages by Hamas, Paris does not know where the two Franco-Israelis are in Gaza

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Monday on RMC/BFMTV that Paris had “no news” of the two Franco-Israeli hostages in Gaza the day after the first hostage releases by Hamas.

Israel released 90 Palestinian detainees on Monday morning a few hours after three Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas, as part of the ceasefire between the Israeli army and the Palestinian Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip devastated by more than 15 months of war.

Where are they ?

Asked about the fate of the two French-Israeli hostages Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi, the minister replied: “No news. And that is the tragedy of these mass hostage-takings of October 7, is that we have no news on their state of health, on their living conditions. detention”.

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Mr. Barrot recalled that the men “are part of the list of 33 hostages to be released in the next 40 days”, adding that Paris had weighed in so that they would be part of this list.

“Eight of our compatriots were taken hostage this tragic morning (of October 7, 2023, editor's note). Two of them died, unfortunately. Four were freed. There are two left, and we will be mobilized until the last hour”, he said again.

On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with the families of Mr. Kalderon and Mr. Yahalomi.

Ohad Yahalomi, who turned 50 in captivity, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. His son Eitan (12 years old) was released on November 27, 2023 during the first truce.

Ofer Kalderon, a 54-year-old French-Israeli, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with Erez and Sahar, his son and daughter aged 12 and 16 respectively at the time. The two teenagers were released on November 27, 2023, during the first truce.

Of the 251 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel, 91 are still hostages in Gaza, 34 of whom have died according to the Israeli army.

Of these captives, 33 are to be released in a first phase of exchange spread over six weeks for 737 Palestinian prisoners, as part of the truce agreement that began Sunday, at the end of a devastating war that has left more than 46,000 dead, mostly civilians, in Gaza.