An Israeli woman, Inbar Haiman, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack, has been officially declared dead, as confirmed by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.
According to the Times of Israel, the cause of Inbar Haiman's death has not been disclosed, and it is suspected that her remains are still in the Gaza Strip.
The 27-year-old was taken from the Supernova music festival and tragically lost her life while in captivity. At the time of the attack, the young woman was volunteering at the music festival.
Also Read: Israel-Gaza War Day 73: Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm. 10 updates
Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum in a Facebook post said, “Amber was a committed art lover, with a specific passion for graffiti. She pursued studies in film during high school and was an ardent supporter of Maccabi Haifa. She met her partner Noam Alon almost two years ago while they were both studying visual communication at the WIZO Haifa academic center. This month, they would have started their fourth year of school."
Also Read: Israel-Hamas war: PM Benjamin Netanyahu faces protests as more hostage death details emerge
Noam Alon told the Guardian, “That should be the most important thing for the Israeli army and for the Israeli government - putting the hostages at the top of their priorities. The hostages should come before any military operation; before any ground invasion."
Also Read: US heralds new phase of Israel-Hamas war, says not ‘right’ to occupy Gaza long-term
As reported by AP, protesters in Israel are calling on their government to resume talks with Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, despite Israel's commitment to their destruction. The pressure to reduce major combat operations is expected to increase during the visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday. The US is expressing growing concern about civilian casualties while continuing to offer crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel.
Also Read: Mint Explainer: Has Israel lost international support for its war in Gaza?
France's Foreign Ministry reported the death of one of its employees in an Israeli airstrike on a residence in Rafah on Wednesday. The strike, condemned by France, was stated to have resulted in the deaths of several civilians, prompting the Foreign Ministry to seek clarification from Israeli authorities.
In a parallel development, the foreign ministers of the UK and Germany advocated for a “sustainable" cease-fire, expressing concern over the significant number of civilian casualties.
Also Read: Israeli army kills 3 hostages ‘mistakenly’, PM Netanyahu calls it ‘unbearable’
Hamas released more than 100 hostages out of the 240 captured on October 7, as part of an exchange for the release of numerous Palestinian prisoners during a temporary cease-fire in November. The majority of those released on both sides were women and minors. Israel has rescued one hostage.
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