Israel-Hamas deal: These are the 10 hostages released on Tuesday

Israel has confirmed the identities of the 10 female hostages who were released Tuesday evening, after 52 days of being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The group is made up mainly of adults, most being elderly, one of whom was released with her sister and niece.

Four of the women's husbands/partners are still captive; another's is known to have been killed.

Ditza Heiman

Ditza Heiman, 81, lived alone on Kibbutz Nir Oz and was famous for her "grandma's soup."

As she locked herself in the safe room during the Hamas attacks on October 7, she spoke with family members as they checked up on the mother of four, stepmother of three, grandmother to 20 and great-grandmother of five.

The last time contact was made with Heiman was around at 4 p.m., when someone answered her phone and began speaking in Arabic.

Tamar Metzger 

Ofir, the Metzger's grandson, said after the attacks that he was in touch with his grandfather via WhatsApp and that Yorem appeared to suggest everything was ok until contact was cut. 

A week later, the family was told that phone tracking proved that Yoram and Tamar were in Gaza. When Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Yitzhak, also members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, were released from Hamas captivity on 26 October, Yocheved let the family know that she had seen Yoram and Tamar alive in Gaza.

Noralin Babadilla Agojo 

Noralin Babadilla Agojo, 60, and her partner, Gidon Babani, were visiting friends in Kibbutz Nirim to celebrate its 70th anniversary when Hamas attacked. Gidon was tragically killed and Noralin was kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza. 

Exo, her brother, later recalled her last words to him before contact was cut off: "We just wanted to celebrate. I'm shaking; maybe I won't come home."

Ada Sagi 

Ada Sagi, 75, is a mother of three and described as a kind, peace-loving person. Born in Tel Aviv in 1948, the daughter of Holocaust survivors from Poland, Ada learned Arabic in order to make friends with her neighbors close to Kibbutz Nir Oz and later taught the language to others as a way to improve communication with the Palestinians who live on the Israel-Gaza border.

Her son Noam stated he last heard from his mother at 9:20 a.m. on October 7, when his mother called to say she could hear voices speaking in Arabic outside her home, after which she entered the safe room.

Ada suffers from asthma and other significant allergies and it is assumed she not had access to an EpiPen during her time in captivity.

She was preparing to travel to London to celebrate her birthday.

Merav Tal

Merav Tal, 53, and her partner Yair Yaakov, 59, were taken captive from their Kibbutz Nir Oz home during the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Yair's two sons, Or and Yagil, 16 and 12, were not with the couple but were at their mother's house, also on Kibbutz Nir Oz. They were also taken captive.

Merav sent a voice message at 9:20 a.m. that Hamas terrorists had entered their home and that Yair was trying to secure the door to the safe room to fend them off. That was the last time they were heard from them.

Or and Yagil were released on November 27, the last of the initial four days of the hostage deal release, now extended for another two days.

Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav

Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, 36, who worked in alternative medicine, and her husband, Yagev Buchshtav, 34, were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7.

The couple met in high school and got married in 2021. They were hiding in the safe room of their home when Rimon messaged her family saying she saw fire and terrorists shooting outside “everywhere.” Her parents were also sheltering in a nearby community; she sent them a voice message saying, "I love you, Mom. I’m so sorry I can’t be there with you. I love you.”

Rimon was later seen looking gaunt and without her glasses in a video of hostages released by Hamas.

Ofelia Roitman 

Argentine olah (new immigrant) Ofelia Roitman, 77, has been held in captivity since being captured from her home on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where she has lived for the last 38 years.

Early in the morning of October 7, as Hamas terrorists reached the kibbutz, Ofelia contacted her family and told them what was happening there.

At 9:37 a.m., the family received their last text message from her: “Please send help, the Palestinians are here,” she wrote.

Marman-Leimberg family

Argentina-born Clara Marman, 62, and her partner Louis Har were hiding in their home’s safe room on October 7, together with Marman’s siblings Fernando Marman and Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and Gabriela’s daughter Mia, 17, who attempted to keep the door to the safe room locked. They were all captured and taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists.

القسام يسلم أسيرة و معها كلبها .#غزة pic.twitter.com/39EunIAJXt

— ahmad.ibraa (@ahmadibraa47) November 28, 2023

Clara was a retired kindergarten teacher.

Gabriela Leimberg is the director of Eyal’s Farm, an ecological ranch for autistic adults at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem.

Gabriela and Mia were down South visiting their family on the kibbutz for the Simchat Torah festival.