Live updates | A hostage held in Gaza dies in captivity, his southern Israeli community says
A man from the southern Israeli Kibbutz Nir Oz has died in captivity
A community that was attacked during Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault into southern Israel says one of its residents, who was taken hostage, has died in captivity. The Kibbutz Nir Oz community did not give a cause of death Friday for Tamir Adar, 38.
Of some 250 people captured during Hamas’ attack, around 80 were taken from Nir Oz alone, out of a population of around 400. The Israeli government says militants are still holding 113 hostages. Hamas has said it will not release any more hostages until Israel ends its military offensive and withdraws from Gaza. Israel has vowed to crush the militant group and return all the captives.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble. Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas’ military structure is still largely intact.
Hamas' Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 250 others were taken hostage. Israel’s air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,400 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
