By Nika Shakhnazarova
A dad of three who was believed to be among the Israeli hostages held in Gaza has been confirmed dead, months after two of his children were released from Hamas captivity as part of a ceasefire deal, officials said.
Dror Or, 49, was killed in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and his body was brought to Gaza, the Israeli government said Thursday.
“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 government wrote on X.
It is unclear how the government learned of Or’s death.
He was one of roughly 250 people abducted during Hamas’ attack, which killed around 1,200 others, including 33 Americans.
Or’s wife Yonat is believed to have been fatally shot while trying to hide from the onslaught on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, two of the pair’s three children Noam, 17, and Alma, 13, were abducted and held captive until they were released in November as part of the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Or’s death means that the teenage siblings, along with their brother Yahli, are now orphans.
Upon release, the siblings had their joy “shattered” when they learned their mother had been killed by the terror group.
AP
“My sister, their mom, was murdered on October 7. The children did not know that. We thought they were together when they were kidnapped, but they were separated from the outset,” their uncle Ahal Besorai told CNN in November.
Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and many Western nations.
United Nations experts concluded that Hamas terrorists carried out gang rape and other acts of sexual violence during the attack.
Israel currently estimates that 129 captives remain in Gaza, 35 of which are dead, including Or.
With Post wires