Israeli hostage murdered by terrorists in Gaza, officials say
Israeli authorities have confirmed the death of a hostage, identified as a 47-year-old farmer from southern Israel, in Gaza. He was murdered by terrorists after months in captivity, according to a Saturday joint statement by the Israel Defence Forces and Israeli Security Agency.
Elad Katzir, the farmer from Nir Oz kibbutz who was held hostage in Khan Yunis, Gaza, was among 253 individuals abducted during an attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
The IDF and ISA announced the retrieval of his body following an overnight raid, saying he died while in captivity of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, which took part in the Oct. 7 surprise attack on southern Israel.
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"The body of the abductee Elad Katzir, who according to intelligence was murdered in captivity by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, was rescued overnight from Khan Yunis and returned to Israeli territory," the Israeli agencies announced in a statement shared with media.
Katzir's sister, Carmit Palty Katzir, shared the news on her Facebook page, saying he will "have a grave in Nir Oz," a kibbutz community that came under attack on Oct. 7. She was critical of the Israeli government's failure to secure her brother's release.
"Elad was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz alive and well and filmed twice from captivity," his sister wrote. "He could have been saved if a deal would have happened on time. Our leadership is cowardly and devoid of political considerations and therefore it didn't happen."
"Eladi — may your memory be laughter, hug and joy, fields and land. That's not how your and our story was supposed to end," she added. "I'm sorry we couldn't save you I love you forever."
Elad Katzir was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his elderly parents on October 7.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) April 6, 2024
Palestinian Islamic Jihad forced him to appear in two propaganda videos proving he was taken alive. Today we learned he was murdered in captivity.
Elad was a farmer and the… pic.twitter.com/40QYGDKxNy
According to AFP, Israeli forces have brought home 12 bodies of hostages during the Gaza war.
Katzir appeared in a distressing video in January, expressing his dire situation and love for his family, according to The Sunday Times. His father was killed in the October attack, which claimed about 1,200 lives, mostly civilians. Katzir's mother, Hannah, also kidnapped, was released in November during a ceasefire; her health significantly worsened by the ordeal.
Efforts for a truce continue, with Qatari and Egyptian mediators seeking to negotiate the release of the remaining 129 hostages.
In March, Hamas, the terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, rejected a United States-proposed ceasefire deal that would have secured the release of more hostages. Hamas reiterated its demands for a full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza.
Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack with the stated aim of securing the release of the hostages and eradicating Hamas. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that over 33,000 people have been killed since the war began. This figure doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Hamas reportedly sent a delegation to Egypt Sunday to discuss ceasefire talks mediated with help from the Qatari foreign minister.
In February, Israeli intelligence officers said more than a fifth of the 136 individuals being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza at the time were dead.
The Israeli military at the time confirmed the deaths of at least 30 of the remaining hostages, according to a copy of the intelligence report reviewed by The New York Times. Meanwhile, unverified intelligence indicated that around 20 other captives might also be dead if unconfirmed reports proved to be true, four officials told the outlet.
"Sadly this has been rumored for quite some time and is not unexpected given both injuries sustained on October 7th and previous leaked intelligence showing Hamas murdered hostages while in captivity," Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Washington-based nonpartisan think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Christian Post.
"This should serve as a reminder of the kind of evil Israel is confronting — and reaffirm U.S. support for Israel finishing its military campaign to destroy Hamas."
Last week, an Israeli army investigation found that a woman hostage was likely killed by Israeli fire during a rescue attempt.
The United Nations has expressed concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marking six months since the conflict's onset with dire warnings of a potential famine.
