JERUSALEM: The government early Friday confirmed the death of an Israeli man held hostage in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack.
According to Be’eri kibbutz where he had lived, Dror Or, 49, was killed and his body was held in Gaza since October 7. It was one of the southern Israel communities hardest hit in the Hamas attack from the Gaza Strip.
Dror OR wife Yonat was killed in the initial assault while two of their three children, Alma and Noam, aged 13 and 17, were abducted and then freed during a ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap deal between Israel and Hamas in November.
“We are heartbroken to share that Dror Or who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, had been confirmed as murdered and his body is being held in Gaza,” the Israeli government said on X. The two children and their brother Yahli are now orphans, the statement said further.
The government did not say how it learned of the death of the hostage.
This death was confirmed as mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt are waiting for Hamas’s response to a new proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release.
During a week-long ceasefire in late November, 105 hostages including 80 Israelis and people from other countries were freed in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians held by Israel.
