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Chained and tortured: The accounts of the recently released Hamas hostages from Gaza give an idea of what the 20 surviving hostages are going through. Among them are German citizens. An overview.

As part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war, all hostages kidnapped by Hamas are now to be released quickly. US President Donald Trump expects the handover to take place on Monday.

A total of 48 people are still held captive by the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive. They are being held under horrific conditions: Released hostages have reported torture, severe mistreatment, hunger, and poor hygiene. Who are the men abducted during the Hamas terrorist organization's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023?

According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, Hamas has already begun transporting the 20 live hostages to safe locations. US broadcaster CNN reports that the terrorist organization is having difficulty locating all the bodies of the 28 people who were presumed to have been killed or died in captivity. The Israeli government is currently unwilling to publish a complete list of the names of those individuals.

Gali and Ziv Berman

Terrorists kidnapped the two 28-year-old twin brothers, who are also German citizens, from an Israeli border town, Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The family learned from hostages released in an earlier exchange that the brothers were still alive in February but were being held separately.

Alon Ohel

Alon Ohel, who also holds German and Serbian citizenship, was kidnapped from a mobile shelter at the Nova Festival. An explosion allegedly occurred, injuring the 24-year-old in his eye with a splinter. His family fears he may be partially blind. The pianist was reportedly chained and held hostage.

Matan Zangauker

Matan Zangauker was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. Gritzewsky was released after 55 days and has since fought tirelessly for the release of her 25-year-old friend. His mother is one of the most well-known hostage relatives and a fierce critic of the government.

Ariel and David Cunio

Ariel (28) and David Cunio (35) were kidnapped along with other relatives. Among them were David's now five-year-old daughters and his wife Sharon – all except the brothers were released. Well-known German actors drew attention to the fate of actor David Cunio at this year's Berlinale, who had a film presented at the 2013 Berlinale.

Omri Miran (now 48) was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz. During the attack, gunmen held his family, including his two daughters aged two years and six months, hostage in the kitchen of a neighboring house – and broadcast the scene live on Facebook. Miran and the father of the other family, Tsachi Idan, were abducted. Idan's body was handed over in a later prisoner exchange after he was killed in captivity. Lishay Miran Lavi, Omri's wife, said her younger daughter knew"Papa Omri" only from photos and videos.

Eitan Horn

Eitan Horn (39) from Kfar Saba visited his brother Iair in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Both were kidnapped. For most of the war, the kidnappers held them captive with three other hostages in a filthy underground cell. In early February, the militiamen filmed the emotional scene when the brothers were informed that Iair would be released, but Eitan would have to remain in Gaza. Since his release, Iair Horn has tirelessly campaigned for his brother and the other hostages and regularly travels to the United States to meet with politicians.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal

The now 24-year-old was kidnapped from the Nova Festival along with his best friend, Eviatar David. Guy's brother managed to escape. Earlier this year, Hamas released footage showing the two friends forced to watch the release of other hostages and desperately begging the Israeli government to ensure their release as well.

Eviatar David

The Israeli is the best friend of Guy Gilboa-Dalal. In August, Hamas released a video of an emaciated and pale David. The 24-year-old said he was digging his own grave. The conditions of the hostages in these videos shocked Israel and led to mass protests in which tens of thousands demanded a ceasefire agreement—one of the largest demonstrations in months.

Avinatan Or

Avinatan, now 32, was also kidnapped from the Nova Festival—along with his girlfriend Noa Argamani. The Israeli army freed Argamani last summer. On October 7, Hamas released a video of the two, which became one of the most famous images of that day. It shows Argamani on an off-road vehicle, crying out,"Don't kill me!" and stretching out her arms toward Or, who is being led away from her by armed men.

Bar Kuperstein

Bar Kuperstein (23) worked as a security guard at the Nova Festival. Witnesses said Kuperstein remained on site to provide first aid to people who had been shot or injured.

Eitan Mor

The 25-year-old Israeli was also in charge of security at the desert party and reportedly cared for injured festivalgoers. His parents founded the Tikva Forum, a loosely organized group of hostages' relatives. They advocated for military pressure—not an immediate ceasefire or a hostage agreement—as the best way to bring the hostages home. This stance put Mor's father at odds with many other hostage families.

Rom Braslavski

The German-Israeli man was employed as a security guard at the Nova Festival and attempted to rescue people on site. In August, the militant group Islamic Jihad released a video showing the 21-year-old emaciated. He pleaded for his life, explaining that foot injuries prevented him from standing. Experts believe Braslavski is severely underweight and highly vulnerable.

Josef-Chaim Ohana

Yosef-Chaim Ohana was kidnapped from the Nova Festival, where he worked as a bartender. Witnesses saw him trying to help others escape before he was abducted. In a video released by Hamas in May of this year, the 25-year-old said:"An entire country wants this nightmare to end."

Elkanah Bohboth

Elkana Bohbot (36), father of a young boy, also worked at the Nova party. Last year, Hamas released several videos of Bohbot that were apparently made under duress."For two years, I have been fighting for my husband's life," his wife Rebecca Bohbot wrote on Instagram."This is the moment a little boy will return to embrace his father, a moment when my family will come back to life."

Nimrod Cohen

Nimrod Cohen was kidnapped from a tank in which he was stationed as a soldier in southern Israel. According to media reports, a released hostage told the now 21-year-old's parents that he loved them and they shouldn't worry about him. Since the kidnapping, his family has stopped celebrating holidays.

Maxim Herkin

Max Herkin (37), who was also kidnapped from the Nova Festival, is originally from Ukraine and has a young daughter. Shortly before his kidnapping, he wrote his mother a final message:"I love you." In July, Hamas released a video of him, recorded under duress months earlier. In it, he said the hostages didn't feel like human beings.

Matan Angrest

Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier, was kidnapped from a burning tank, according to Israeli media. The 22-year-old was reportedly chained and beaten. His family is among the most vocal protesters and is highly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Segev Kalfon

Segev Kalfon (27) was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival, where he was last seen attempting to escape from attackers on the highway. Kalfon had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder – a fact his family emphasized in their call for his release. After the last ceasefire, the family received their first sign of life when some of the freed hostages reported they had been held with him for months.