Israeli allegedly among Hamas hostages found dead in Gaza

An Israeli who went missing during the October 7 attack on Hamas leadership and was believed to be taken hostage was found dead in the border village where he lived, Israeli media reported on Monday.

After what it describes as a lengthy forensic investigation, the Israeli military confirmed the identification of the remains of Dolev Yehoud, whose last name is also spelled “Yehud” in English.

A military statement said Yehoud, a 35-year-old volunteer medic, was among dozens of residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz killed in the October 7 rampage that burned numerous homes to the ground.

Dozens more residents were captured by Hamas in the neighboring Gaza Strip. Among them was Yehoud’s sister, Arbel, 28, the family said.

Nine days after the attack, Yehoud’s wife gave birth to their fourth child.

The Hamas-led rampage, which Israel said killed about 1,200 people in communities in southern Israel, sparked an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip to eliminate the group.

In total, around 250 people were taken hostage in southern Israel on October 7, including foreign tourists and workers as well as Israelis. Many were released at the end of November as part of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Following Yehoud’s announcement, the Israeli government said 120 of the October 7 hostages were believed to still be in Gaza. Thirty-nine of them were declared dead in absentia by Israel based on witness testimony, forensic examinations and intelligence information.