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Dear A.,
The bodies of four murdered hostages were returned to Israel by Hamas last night, and their identities were
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confirmed by Israeli authorities today.
The four bodies were those of Itzik Elgarat, 69, Shlomo Mansour, 85, Tsahi Idan, 50, and Ohad Yahalomi, 50.
They are the last hostages set to be released during Phase One of the current hostage deal. An Israeli delegation is currently in Cairo to negotiate the release of additional hostages.
Ohad, Tsahi, and Itzik were murdered while in captivity in Gaza, while Mansour was killed on October 7, 2023, and his body kidnapped and held in Gaza.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that their return "underscores our moral obligation to do everything in our power to bring back all the hostages."
Itzik Elgarat is survived by two children, a brother and two sisters.
Itzik was shot and injured inside the safe room of his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and then taken hostage into Gaza. A hostage released in November 2023 said that Itzik had been shot in the hand. Last week, Itzik’s brother Danny told the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee that his brother had died of starvation.
"We will remember him for his laughter, his big heart, and his willingness to always be there for anyone in need," Kibbutz Nir Oz said.
Shlomo Mansour is survived by his wife, Mazal, five children, 12 grandchildren and five siblings.
Born in Baghdad in 1938, he survived the Farhud pogrom in Iraq and immigrated to Israel in 1951, becoming one of the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim. Shlomo was the oldest hostage taken into Gaza.
Shlomo was abducted on October 7 after terrorists opened fire on the door of the safe room of his home at the kibbutz. Shlomo's wife saw him being taken away, handcuffed, by several terrorists. Israel assesses that he was killed later that day.
Tsahi Idan is survived by his wife, Gali, and two of his children.
Hamas terrorists shot and killed his oldest daughter, Maayan, just 18 years old, before taking Tsahi hostage into Gaza.
The terrorists live-streamed the attack on the family’s home using Gali’s phone, broadcasting it to her Facebook account. Tsahi and Gali's two younger children were seen crying over their murdered sister and asking whether they too would be killed. Tsahi, his hands covered in blood from Maayan, was seen asking if he could help her, which the terrorists refused.
"Tsahi will be laid to rest alongside his beloved daughter, Maayan, who was murdered on October 7 while trying to help her father protect the shelter door," the family said in a statement.
Ohad Yahalomi, a dual French-Israeli citizen, is survived by his wife and three young children.
On October 7, as terrorists attacked his kibbutz, Ohad stood guard outside his family's safe room with a handgun.
Ohad was shot by the terrorists, who attempted to kidnap his wife and three children. His wife and two daughters managed to run away, while Ohad and their 12-year-old son, Eitan, were taken hostage. Eitan was released in November 2023 as part of the first hostage deal.
"We will always remember him as a man of values, filled with compassion, a lover of people and the land. May his memory be a blessing," Kibbutz Nir Oz said.
59 hostages, including 5 Americans, are still being held, tortured and abused in Hamas' hell under Gaza.
The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to release all the hostages.
Palestinian terrorist attack in Israel injures more than a dozen, one critically
Over a dozen people were
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wounded , including a 17-year-old girl critically injured, after a Palestinian terrorist rammed into pedestrians on a highway near Pardes Hanna.
"The terrorist ran over several people at a bus station, then proceeded to stab others with a screwdriver and crashed into a police vehicle," Israeli Police said.
A 17-year-old girl is in critical condition, two people are in serious condition, and three in moderate condition.
Two police officers were stabbed at the scene before the terrorist was shot dead.
The terrorist was identified as a 53-year-old Palestinian from the Jenin area, who had been living illegally in Israel.
The United States must continue to support Israel's efforts to counter the growing threat of Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorism from the West Bank.
MUST LISTEN
John Fetterman's Israel
Dan Senor
Call Me Back Podcast
"Over the past 16 months, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has been one of the staunchest supporters of Israel’s war against Hamas. Fetterman, a Democrat who is not Jewish, has been more outspoken in his support for Israel than most of his Jewish colleagues. As a result, Fetterman has gone from being a hero of the Left to becoming a lightning rod for many progressives. And yet, he has not backed down from the fight he perceives as a decisive turning point for his party, and a test for whether or not it will continue to stand for true liberal values."
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Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.
Jake Braunstein
Director of Policy Communications
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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