Stories of the people taken from Israel

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Stories of the people taken from *******

A total of 97 hostages remain unaccounted for after being kidnapped by ****** on 7 October last year.

According to *******, 251 Israelis and foreigners were taken during the 7 October attacks.

*******’s official figures for those held in Gaza include four people taken ******** in 2014 and 2015. Two of these are believed to have *****.

These are the stories of those hostages who are still being held, which have either been confirmed by the BBC or credibly reported.

This list is regularly updated and names may change, as some people feared kidnapped are confirmed to have been ******* or released.

Last updated on 1 September 2024 at 11:30 BST

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[BBC]

Alexander Trupanov, was taken ******** with his mother Lena Trupanov, 50, his partner Sapir Cohen, 29, and his grandmother Irina Tati, 73. All were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz as they spent the Sabbath together, according to a statement by Canada’s Raoul Wallenburg Center for Human Rights. Irina and Lena were released on Wednesday 29 November and Sapir was freed the next day.

Ariel Cunio, his girlfriend Arbel Yahud are also thought to have been abducted in the same ******* on Nir Oz. Eitan Cunio, Ariel’s brother who escaped ******, told the ******* Chronicle that his last message from Ariel said: “We are in a horror movie.”

David Cunio, 33, another of Ariel’s brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz, family say. David’s wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were released on 27 November. Sharon’s sister Daniele Aloni, and her six-year-old daughter Emilia were both released on 24 November.

Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse, was in her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when ****** attacked, the Times of ******* reported. At 10:30 on 7 October, the newspaper said, she sent a voice message to friends: “They’ve arrived, they have me.”

Naama Levy, 19, was filmed being bundled into a jeep, her hands tied behind her back. The footage was released by ****** and circulated widely on social media. According to her mother, the teenager had just begun her military service.

Yousef Zyadna, a 53-year-old Bedouin dairy farmer, was abducted from Kibbutz Holit and taken to Gaza along with his sons Hamza, 22, and Bilal, 18, and his daughter, Aisha, 16. Aisha and Bilal were released on Thursday 30 November.

Elad Katzir, 47, was abducted from Nir Oz with his mother, Hanna. The IDF said it had recovered his body from Gaza on 6 April after he was “murdered in captivity” by Islamic ******. Hanna was released in November.

Ohad Ben Ami, 55, was kidnapped from Be’eri with his wife, Raz. She was released by ****** on 29 November.

Twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 26, were taken from Kfar Aza. Ziv was messaging a friend as the ******* happened. Their family said the IDF has told them the brothers are being held in Gaza. Their brother Liran told CBN news the pair had “twin power” and were the centre of attention wherever they went.

Iraq-born Shlomo Mansour, 85, was taken captive from Kibbutz Kissufim, where he lived and worked as a chicken coop manager. His wife, Mazal, managed to escape.

Daniela Gilboa, 19, sent messages saying that Kibbutz Nahal Oz, where she was staying, was under ******* and asked her mother to pray for her. Her boyfriend, Roy Dadon, told the Economist 1843 magazine that he believes he saw a glimpse of her in a video showing three ****** being driven away in the back of an SUV.

IDF soldier Matan Angrest, 21, was on duty on 7 October and is presumed to be in Gaza.

Eli Sharabi, 55 was taken from Be’eri with his brother, Yosi, since confirmed *****. Eli’s

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in the *******. Ofir Engel, the boyfriend of Yosi’s daughter, Yuval, was also taken, but released on 29 November.

Agam Berger, 19, was kidnapped from Nahal Oz. She was seen being taken away in videos released by ******.

***** Alexander, 19, is an ********-US citizen who volunteered to join the ******** army. He was serving near the Gaza border at the time of ******’s *******. *****’s family said they had been told by ******** officials that he had been taken to Gaza as a ********.

Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, lives with his family south of Rahat and worked as a security guard, according to ******** media. He

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in a “complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip”, according to the ******** military.

Matan Zanguaker, 24, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky, 30, from Nir Oz,

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. Ilana, a ******** national, was released on Thursday 30 November.

Eitan *****, 37, and his brother Yair, 45, both Argentinian citizens, were also in Nir Oz at the time of the *******. Their father Itzik said he believes they were kidnapped. Yair is a construction worker while Eitan works in education.

Keith Seigel, 64, and his wife Adrienne – often known as Aviva – Seigel, 62, were taken from their home in Kfar Aza, Keith’s brother Lee Seigel told the BBC. Adrienne was released on 26 November.

Omri Miran, 46, lived in Nahal Oz with his wife and two daughters. Omri was led away by ****** with his hands tied, his wife Lishay told the Guardian newspaper. She told him not to be a hero, urging: “Do whatever they want because I want you back.”

Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese student, is believed to have been taken from Kibbutz Alumim. Nepalese newspaper Setopati says he was one of 49 university students studying agriculture in *******. It says 10 students were ******* in the *******.

Ilan Weiss, 58, went missing from Kibbutz Be’eri after he was last seen leaving the house to defend the community. On 25 November, his wife Shiri Weiss, 53, and their daughter, Noga, 18, were freed from captivity in a ******** deal.

Oded Lifshitz, 83, and his wife Yocheved, 85 were taken ******** from Nir Oz. On Monday 23 October, Yocheved was one of two elderly women to be freed. After hearing the news of her mother’s release, their daughter Sharone – a London-based artist – said: “While I cannot put into words the relief that she is now safe, I will remain focused on securing the release of my father and all those – some 200 innocent people – who remain hostages in Gaza.”

Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old ********-********* and grandson of Holocaust survivors, put off plans to go to college in the US to study in *******, and eventually joined the IDF. He was serving as a tank commander near Gaza when ****** attacked. Omer’s parents say they were told by the ******** embassy that he had been kidnapped.

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Alex Danzig has spent decades educating people about the Holocaust [***** Danzig]

Itzhk Elgarat, 68, was kidnapped at the same time as Alex Danzig, his brother Danny Elgert told *******’s Kan 11 TV station, adding that he had tracked his brother’s phone to the border with Gaza.

Gadi Moses, 79, was also abducted during the same ******* on Nir Oz, according to relatives and the ******** aid agency where he worked as an agricultural expert. Efrat Katz, his partner, was initially thought to have been captured as well, but she was later found *****, the Times of ******* reported. Efrat was the mother of Doron Asher, who was taken ******** and later released with her two daughters. Ravid Katz, 51, Doron Asher’s brother, was originally thought to have been taken ******** from Nir Oz, but on 28 November his family confirmed that he had been ******* on 7 October.

Nimrod Cohen, 19, had studied software engineering in high school, according to reports. After he was kidnapped, his father was invited to meet Pope Francis in Rome along with other hostages’ families.

Tsachi Idan, 51, was last seen by his wife, Gali, as he was taken away by ****** gunmen. Their family had been ambushed in their safe room in Nahal Oz. Their ordeal was live-streamed by ******. Their eldest child, Maayan – who had just turned 18 – was shot *****, Gali told the BBC.

Yarden Bibas, 34, was

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. His wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, were also taken ********, but on 29 November, ****** claimed they had been ******* in an ******** air strike while in captivity. The ******** government has said it is checking the claim.

Ronen Engel, 54, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his wife, Karina Engelbert, 51, and their two daughters, Mika, 18 and Yuval, 11. On 1 December, the organisation representing the families said he had been murdered. Karina, Mika and Yuval were released on 27 November.

Karina Ariev, a 19-year-old soldier, was serving at an army base near Gaza when she was kidnapped. Her sister Alexandra told the BBC she heard ********* as Karina called her during the *******, and later saw a video showing Karina being taken away in a vehicle.

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Karina Ariev was at the Nahal Oz military base, which was among the first to be attacked [Family Handout]

Ofer Kalderon, 53, was taken by ****** from Nir Oz. On 27 November his two children, Erez, 12, and Sahar, 16, were released. Two other relatives, 80-year-old Carmela Dan and her granddaughter, Noya, 12, were also believed to have been taken, but ******** authorities later announced they had been found *****.

Omri Miran, 46, was abducted after his family opened the door to their secure shelter to an ******** child, who said he would be ******* otherwise. Omri’s wife, Lishay Lavi, said she saw him being taken away in handcuffs with three other hostages from Nahal Oz.

Liri Elbag, 18, had just started military training as an Army lookout near the Gaza border when ****** attacked, her father Eli told the Associated Press. Eli said he saw her in a video circulated later by ******, crowded with others on the back of a military truck which had been seized by the gunmen.

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[BBC]

A number of people are believed to have been abducted from the

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in southern *******. Among them:

Omer Shem Tov, 21, called his parents as he was running away from gunfire and managed to get into a friend’s car. His parents, Shelly and Malki Shem Tov, told ******** media they lost contact with their son and the live location on his phone showed he was beyond the border in Gaza.

Idan Shtivi, 28, an environmental sciences student, was attending the festival to take pictures at music and yoga workshops being held by friends. He escaped the site in his car but was attacked by ****** along the route. The bodies of two of his passengers were found, and his family told the Jerusalem Post they suspect he was kidnapped.

Yosef Ohana, 24, had been at the festival with a friend, who told his mother he and Yosef had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. Yosef was last seen hiding under a car, and ******** authorities have visited his mother to say he was kidnapped.

Avinatan Or, 30, appeared in a video being marched away from his girlfriend Noa Argamani by ******, the Times of ******* reported. The IDF said on 8 June that Noa Argamani was rescued from central Gaza, along with three others.

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Guy Gilboa-Dalal was filmed in captivity in Gaza, his family say [Family handout]

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 22, attended the festival with his brother. Guy appears in a ******** video that his family say confirms he is in Gaza.

Eitan Mor, 23, lives in Jerusalem, and was working as a security guard at the festival, the Times of ******* said. He reportedly texted his uncle after ****** arrived and was last seen with a friend bringing others to safety.

Alon Ohel, 22, a Serbian citizen, took refuge in a shelter after the festival came under *******, his family say. They have seen footage of him being dragged away after a grenade *******.

Maxim Kharkin is aged 35 and a Russian speaker, his mother told Russian media. She added that he had called her at 07:00 on the morning of the *******.

Segev Kalfon, 26, was running away from the festival, across the highway, when he was captured by ******, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Romi Lesham Gonen, 23, was on the phone to her mother as she tried to escape from the Supernova festival. Merav Leshem Gonan has recounted a conversation in which her daughter begged for help after being shot. ABC News reports that Romi’s phone is now in Gaza.

Bar Kuperstein, 21, last spoke to his family early on the morning of 7 October, as the ******* unfolded. Later the same day, his family say they identified him in a video of ******** prisoners, posted by ******. Since then, they say they have had no further information.

Eliya Cohen, 26, was hiding with his girlfriend Ziv from the *******, when Ziv felt him being pulled up and driven away by the gunmen, Eliya’s mother has told the video initiative #BringThemHomeNow. The family then found a photo of Eliya in Gaza, the Times of ******* reported.

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Elkana Bohbot was seen in a video posted by ****** [Family handout]

Elkana Bohbot, 34, had gone to the party with friends and, before losing contact, he spoke to his wife and mother telling them he was helping to evacuate the wounded, the Times of ******* reported. Hours later, his family found a video of him posted online by ******, which has been seen by BBC Verify.

Rom Braslavski, 19, was working on security for the festival. According to an account published by Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person in the ******* when he was caught in a volley of *****. He has not been heard from since.

Omer Wenkert, 22, a restaurant manager, sent a message to his family to say he was going to a safe shelter but then lost contact, his father Shai Wenkert told the BBC’s Today Programme. Shai Wenkert said he had seen footage of his son in captivity, including a photo of him handcuffed and wearing only underwear.

Evyatar David, 23, was at the festival and on the morning of the attacks, described fleeing from gunfire before losing contact with the outside world, his brother says. Later, his family say, Evyatar’s sister posted on

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appealing for information about his whereabouts. She then received a text from an unknown number, which contained video footage of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. According to *******’s foreign ministry he is being held captive by ****** in Gaza.

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[BBC]

Ohad Yahalomi, 49, was abducted from Nir Oz, along with his 12-year-old son, Eitan, who was released during the November ceasefire.

Tal Shoham, 38, was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri. His wife Adi, also 38, her mother Dr Shoshan Haran, 67, were released by ****** on 25 November, along with the couple’s children Nave, eight, and Yahel, three. Dr Haran’s husband, Avshalom – an economist and dual *******/******** citizen – was ******* on 7 October.

Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, an *********-******** citizen, has been missing since ******’s ******* on Nir Oz, his father Jonathan told the BBC. He said his son was not found among the ***** and the “only reasonable explanation” is that he was taken to Gaza.

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Sagui Dekel-Chen’s father has not heard from him since ****** attacked the kibbutz where he lived [Jonathan Dekel-Chen]

Thailand’s government says that six of its citizens are still being held ******** in Gaza.

Those still being held are believed to include Watchara Sriuan, 32. His mother, Viewwaew, told the Thaiger news site that the family had been informed he was being held captive.

Hostages who have *****

A number of other people thought to have been held ******** are now confirmed to have *****, either during the 7 October ******* or while in captivity.

On 1 September, the IDF announced that its forces had recovered the bodies of six hostages: Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino. Their bodies were located in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area, the IDF said.

On 28 August it was announced that the body of an IDF soldier, who had been taken ********, had been extracted from Gaza and returned to *******. His name has not been released on request of his family.

Previously, on 8 August, it was announced that the bodies of Abraham Munder, Alex Dancyg, Yagev Buchshtab, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell, who ***** in ****** captivity, had been extracted from Gaza by the IDF and returned to *******.

The IDF announced on 3 June it had told the families of four men taken ******** – Amiram Cooper, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell – that they were no longer alive and their bodies were being held by ******.

IDF soldier Itay Chen, 19, a dual US-******** citizen, was previously believed to be held ******** but was actually ******* in the 7 October ****** attacks, according to the IDF.

It has been confirmed by ******** authorities that Lior Rudaeff, 61, of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was murdered on 7 October and his body was abducted to Gaza. Elyakim Libman, 24, a security guard at the Nova music festival, was also murdered on 7 October, authorities said in May. Both men were previously reported as being among the hostages held in Gaza.

On 24 May, the ******** army said that the bodies of three hostages had been recovered – Orion Hernandez, 30, Chanan Yablonka, 42, and Michel Nisenbaum, 59.

A number of hostages’ bodies were also found in mid-May – Shani Louk, 23, Amit Buskila, 27, Itzhak Gelerenter, 58, and Ron Benjamin, 53.

The families of two Thai hostages, Sonthaya Oakkharasr and Sudthisak Rinthalak, were informed on 16 May that they were ******* during the 7 October ******* and their bodies were being held by ****** in Gaza.

Other hostages confirmed to have ***** include Gadi Haggai, Ron Scherman, Nik Beizer, Tal Chaimi, an ********-Romanian citizen aged 41, Joshua Mollel, a 19-year-old Tanzanian student, 27-year-old Eden Zecharya, and 36-year-old Ziv Dado.

Other fatalities include Jonathan Samerano, 21, Sahar Baruch, 25, Dror Kaplun, 68, Aviv Atzili, 49, Arye Zalmanovich, 85, Ronen Engel, 54, Maya Goren, 56, Guy Iluz, 26, Ofir Tzarfati, 27, Ofra Keider, 70, and Eliyahu Margalit, 75.

The bodies of 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano and 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss were found by ******** troops in buildings close to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

In March, the family of Uriel Baruch, 35, said they had been informed by the ******* Defence Forces (IDF) that he was ******* on 7 October in the ******* on the Nova music festival, and that his body was being held in Gaza. He was married with two children.

The ****** of Tamir Adar, 38, was announced on 5 January by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. This was followed by an announcement that Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky were also *****.

On 16 December 2023, the ******** military expressed “deep remorse” after soldiers mistakenly ******* three hostages in northern Gaza who had escaped from their captors. They were named as Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26.

Inbar Heiman, a student taken from the Nova music festival was also confirmed ***** in December.

Hostages whose ****** has been reported, but not confirmed, include Shiri Bibas, 32, and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir.

Research by Jamie Ryan and Emma Pengelly

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[BBC]

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#Stories #people #*******

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