Israelis taken hostage by Hamas will receive a monthly wage, including receiving compensation retroactively from October 7th, the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee approved on Monday.
The committee, led by MK Israel Eichler, approved the details of an agreement between the Finance Ministry and the National Insurance Institute defining monthly compensation for the hostages' salaries.
According to this agreement, which is valid until August, the hostages will be entitled to payments as compensation for their salaries, while those who were unemployed at the time of their kidnapping will receive a minimum of NIS 7,000 per month. This will include payments to hostages who have reached the age of retirement regardless of whether or not they worked before they were kidnapped by Hamas.
The funds will be transferred directly to the hostages' bank accounts and will be calculated based on their incomes, according to wages reported to the National Insurance Institute for the three months prior to their abduction.
The payment deal also stipulates that compensation would be around NIS 9,000 per month for anyone with dependent children.
The maximum compensation is set to be around NIS 49,000 per month.
"At first, uniform grants were given to the families of hostages," explained Yael Goren Hezekiah, head of the Hostages and Families department at the Prime Minister's Office. "As their period in captivity extended in a manner that we did not expect, the goal was to provide compensation according to the salaries the hostages earned before they were kidnapped. This was because we understood that their financial commitments will be in accordance with their salaries."
"The hostages' bank accounts are still operating, and their financial obligations continue," stated Attorney Roni Neuber of the Justice Ministry. "There were hostages who returned from Gaza who found out that their accounts were in overdraft. This needs to be addressed," he said.
How will IDF soldiers held hostage in Gaza get paid?
One group exempt from this payment scheme is IDF soldiers who were taken hostage who have continued to receive their salaries from the IDF. According to an IDF representative present at the committee meeting, the salary of regular soldiers stands at NIS 2,000-3,000 per month.
The committee demanded that the IDF compensate kidnapped soldiers equally to the minimum amount of compensation given to civilian hostages - NIS 7,000.
"A soldier gets just a few pennies each month, and this creates an unreasonable gap," Eichler said. "This needs to be addressed. Soldiers must receive at least the minimum amount set by the state."
"I understand that the rationale is to pay back one's salary, but it isn't logical to create two different groups of hostages," added Labor MK Gilad Kariv. "This isn't a very large group, and it doesn't place a huge burden on the defense budget."
The IDF representatives said they would bring the issue to the relevant authorities but clarified that regardless, the soldiers held hostage would be paid through the IDF.
The committee chair and Members of Knesset stated that they would stand by their decision that the soldiers must receive at least the minimum compensation, warning that if the IDF doesn't see to it, the MKs will advance a bill to do so.
"The most touching thing here is that the hostages are being treated as living people who need to take care of their normal lives," said Shimon Or, whose relative Avitan is held hostage in Gaza. "Whoever takes responsibility for these people is the one who will get the responsibility and power to welcome them back. To make sure they have a salary, to allow them to pay their payments. This is how we should treat the hostages," he added