Today’s news / Israel shares Danish hostage on list
Daniel Elgarat, a relative of the hostage Itzik Elgarat in Gaza, met with the Danish press at Christiansborg in October 2023 along with other relatives. He wore a T-shirt with a picture of his brother Itzik Elgarat, whose name appears on a list of hostages to be released in the first phase of a recent ceasefire agreement. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Israel shares Danish hostage on list

The Israeli Government Press Office shared a list of 33 Israeli hostages expected to be released within six weeks as the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The image, also posted by the Israeli Embassy in Denmark on Facebook, includes Danish-Israeli hostage Itzik Elgarat. His current status is uncertain, and both BBC and NPR have discussed his inclusion on the list. A senior Hamas member confirmed the hostages’ identities to NPR. Elgarat’s brother, Daniel, expressed to B.T. that the family does not know if Itzik is alive. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has quietly hoped for Itzik’s release but lacks confirmation of his status. On Sunday, three Israeli women were released, and Israel freed 90 Palestinian detainees. Prime Minister Netanyahu believes most of the remaining hostages are alive. Itzik Elgarat, 69, was reportedly shot before capture. The Danish Foreign Ministry is in talks with Israeli authorities, monitoring the situation.