Who are the hostages found dead in Gaza?

The Israeli military said Sunday it had identified the bodies of six hostages brought back from Gaza to Israel, including two women and four men, one Israeli-American and one Israeli-Russian. “The Army and the Shin Bet”Israeli domestic intelligence, “located (on Saturday) and recovered the bodies of hostages Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino from a tunnel in the Rafah area”in the southern Gaza Strip, the army announced in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the six hostages whose remains were returned were alive when they were abducted and afterward “killed in cold blood by Hamas”Evidence of life had emerged for these hostages, including a video showing Hersh Goldberg-Polin in April shot by his captors.

Carmel Gat, abducted on October 7

At 40, Carmel Gat was abducted by Hamas on October 7 from Kibbutz Be’eri. She had come to visit her parents that October weekend. During the attack, her mother was murdered. Her father, meanwhile, managed to hide in the bathroom. He has been fighting for his daughter’s return ever since, taking a public stand against Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies. “While all professionals involved in the negotiations recommend signing the agreement, the Prime Minister has foreign considerations that prolong the suffering and even cause the death of the hostages. It is time to close this episode, sign an agreement and save the hostages now.”he said at the beginning of August, on I24News.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24 years old

The young woman was a bartender at the Nova techno music festival. Israeli television channel Channel 12 broadcast recordings of her abduction in May. At the time of the attack, Eden Yerushalmi had hidden in a car before taking refuge in some bushes near Kibbutz Reim and had called the police emergency line. “I’m here under fire in the south. I need your help! I’m alone and hiding in the bushes”she implored.

The young woman also called her two sisters and her mother, spending four hours on the phone with them before being kidnapped by Hamas. “She said they were getting closer to her, and we heard them approaching, and then she whispered, ‘Shani, they got me.'”said one of his sisters. His family had decided to broadcast all the latest conversations to put pressure on Israeli leaders to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages.

American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Born in Oakland, California, the 23-year-old was one of eight U.S. citizens held in Gaza. Hersh Goldberg-Polin had gone to celebrate his 23rd birthday with a friend at the Nova music festival before he too was abducted by Hamas members. Evidence of life emerged in April, including on a video filmed by his captors.

Since then, his parents have spoken out, including at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in August, explaining that their son had been taken hostage while he was seriously injured in the left arm. “That was 320 days ago. Everyone can try to imagine the pain and torment that John and I and all the hostage families are going through.”In June, the young man’s father regretted on I24News that the hostages were “pawns in a game to which none of us were invited”. “The government is clearly not doing enough because many political interests are disrupting the progress of the discussions.”.

The Russian-Israeli Alexander Lobanov

Among the hostages in Gaza, two have Russian citizenship: Alexander Trupanov and Alexander Lobanov. The latter, 32, was also participating in the techno music festival when he was abducted. A Hamas official told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti last June that the Palestinian group would first release the two Russian citizens if an agreement was reached with Israel.

His compatriot, kidnapped in Kibbutz Nir Oz with his mother, Yelena, his grandmother, Tati, and his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen – all released as part of a deal in late November – is believed to be held by Islamic Jihad. The Palestinian organization released a propaganda video featuring him in May. His father, Vitaly Trupanov, was assassinated during the Hamas assault.

Almog Sarusi kidnapped at music festival

Almog Sarusi, 25, was abducted on October 7 during the attack at the music festival. His girlfriend, Shadar Gindi, who was with him, was shot dead during the attack. According to the Times of IsraëlAlmog Sarusi’s parents have since been wrongly informed twice that their son’s body had been found. His relatives had not heard from him since October 7.

Ori Danino, taken hostage with his family

Ori Danino was captured at the music festival at the age of 24. He was kidnapped along with his friend Omer Shem-Tov, who is still a hostage, and his brother and sister, who were freed in the previous release deal last November. Another friend who was able to escape said the young man left the festival in a car before turning around to try to save festival-goers. The young man, who comes from an ultra-Orthodox family, was engaged and had planned to get married within the year.