After more than a year of captivity in Gaza, Hanna Katzir, a former Israeli hostage, died following a long illness. His death once again raises the question of the hostages still held by Hamas and the heavy price paid by civilians in this endless conflict…
The death of Hanna Katzir, a former Israeli hostage kidnapped in Gaza in October 2023 and released a month later, rekindles the still raw wounds of the last conflict in the Gaza Strip. This 76-year-old woman died after a long illness, a year after finding freedom during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
A heavy price for hostage families
Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Hanna Katzir and her family lived, was particularly affected by the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023. According to local sources, around thirty residents lost their lives there that day. there and more than 70 people were taken hostage, 25 of whom are believed to remain detained in Gaza to this day.
Hanna's husband, Rami Katzir, was among those killed in the attack on their home. Their son Elad, 47, died in captivity. His body was only repatriated to Israel last April for burial.
An expected recognition
The recognition of Hanna Katzir as a victim of terrorism by the Israeli authorities is seen as a relief by those close to her. In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled the government's commitment “to do everything to bring all our hostages home”, stressing that Hanna's body and soul bore “the scars of horror until 'on his last day'.
We managed to bring Hanna home, but the horror of her captivity will scar her forever.
– Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister
A conflict that never ends
More than a year after the end of hostilities, the situation on the border between Gaza and Israel remains very tense. If the ceasefire is generally respected, the Israeli army regularly carries out operations in the Gaza Strip to try to free the hostages still in the hands of Hamas or to dismantle the infrastructure of the organization considered terrorist by the State Hebrew.
The death of Hanna Katzir as a result of her captivity is a reminder of the heavy price paid by civilians, often targeted or caught in this standoff that has lasted for decades. Many Israeli and Palestinian families today still bear the scars of the violence and losses endured on both sides.
A glimmer of hope for the remaining hostages?
The death of Hanna Katzir also restarts the fight of the families of the hostages still held in Gaza. They are increasing their actions to maintain pressure on the Israeli government and the international community. Their goal: to obtain the release of their loved ones, whatever the cost.
Some see this as an opportunity to restart negotiations for a larger-scale prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. A scenario already observed in the past but which remains uncertain in the current context.
As long as a single hostage remains in the hands of Hamas, we will not give up. It is a question of honor and humanity.
– A spokesperson for the Hostage Families Support Committee
While the disappearance of Hanna Katzir revives the trauma of the last war in Gaza, the question of hostages and civilian victims continues to weigh on any prospect of lasting de-escalation. A painful and complex equation, like this conflict which never ceases to cause new victims, direct or collateral.
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