Three of the hostages were murdered in Gaza, Netanyahu confirms
Israeli officials have notified the families of Ohad Yahalomi, Tzahi Idan and Itzik Elgarat that their loved ones were murdered in captivity, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday.
Israel’s National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv preparing to receive the remains of four hostages on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Roey Basevich/TPS-IL
“According to intelligence and all the information in our possession; Ohad, Tzachi, and Yitzhak were murdered in captivity in Gaza. Shlomo Mansour was murdered in the murderous massacre of October 7, 2023, and his body was held in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
The fourth hostage, Shlomo Mansour, was killed at Kibbutz Kissufim and his body taken to Gaza.
Yahalomi, a French-Israeli national, was shot during a gun battle with terrorists while trying to protect his family on October 7 at Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was last seen in a Hamas propaganda video released in January 2024.
Elgarat, a 69-year-old Israeli-Danish national, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The last sign of life came from hostages freed in November when other rescued hostages told the family they saw Elgarat being treated in Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.
Tsahi Idan, of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was taken captive after terrorists shot and killed his 18-year-old daughter in front of him.
The completion of Wednesday night’s exchange marks the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. The fate of the remaining 59 hostages is to be determined by negotiations. Critics say the phased approach condemns them to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 32 are believed to be dead.
