Mia and Gabriela had arrived in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak that weekend for the Simchat Torah celebrations, staying at their aunt Clara Marman's home. Marman, like them, was also kidnapped, along with another relative, Fernando Marman.

The fifth day of the hostage deal got underway as Hamas handed over 10 Israeli women and two other foreigners.

The fact that he has been hiding since the beginning of the war shows that he is seeking to survive, but it can also be reversed, and the moment he sees an opportunity to come out to get another image of victory, he may do so.  Palestinian sources have described him as a “control freak."

The ground maneuver may have pushed Hamas into a corner and advanced the ceasefire in battle, but there is no basis for the claim that this could have culminated with the release of the captives. Since the conflict began, Israel has successfully reached two bodies of captives and only one live captive (Ori Megidish), despite considerable efforts invested in the matter.