In 2023, as part of the October 7th attacks which initiated the Gaza war, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups abducted 251 people from Israel to the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and elderly people. Almost half of the hostages were foreign nationals or have multiple citizenships, and some hostages were Negev Bedouins. The captives are likely being held in different locations in the Gaza Strip. Of all the hostages presumed alive in October 2024, 53 were civilians and 11 were military personnel according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.