Israeli hostage, 27-year-old woman Inbar Haiman, confirmed dead in Hamas captivity: Report

A 27-year-old Israeli woman who was taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during the October 7 attack on southern Israel has been confirmed dead, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum announced. 

Inbar Haiman was said to have been abducted from the Supernova music festival and described as a “creative girl full of joy.” 

The Forum said Haiman’s family were informed of her death by authorities, but no other details about how or when she was killed were immediately known. Haiman is survived by her parents and a brother, reported Times of Israel. 

According to the Forum, her body is believed to remain held by Hamas in Gaza. Haiman was among dozens of hostages taken by the Palestinian militant group from the Supernova desert rave which turned into a massacre during the attacks after Hamas fighters, according to Israeli officials, killed at least 360 partygoers. 

The visual communications student from the city of Haifa, in northern Israel was volunteering at the festival, according to her boyfriend Noam Alon. 

She had texted him when the Palestinian militant group attacked and he told her to avoid the roads where Hamas fighters were reportedly shooting people who were trying to escape. 

When they lost touch with her, Inbar’s family and Alon posted her details on social media and eventually they heard from two witnesses. They recognised her from her distinctive leggings and said Haiman first hid under a stage with friends and then took cover under a bush, reported Times of Israel. 

The two witnesses also reportedly told her family that she later was found by a pair of Hamas fighters armed with knives, who hauled the 27-year-old out and placed her on a motorbike. 

Her family and Alon later received a video posted by Hamas on Telegram, showing Haiman looking bloody and beaten, surrounded by four men, according to Times of Israel.  

“The video came as a kind of relief,” Alon told the Guardian, in an interview last month after the video emerged. “The other option – that she was dead – was far worse. Knowing that she’s now a hostage in Gaza isn’t easy – it’s something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy – but it’s better than the alternative.”

The news of her reported death came a day after the Israeli military said that they found the bodies of two soldiers and one civilian hostage who were taken captive by Hamas. The civilian was later identified as Elia Toledano, a 28-year-old French-Israeli citizen.

It is believed that around 128 people are still in Hamas captivity, but not all of them are thought to be alive. Some 105 Israeli hostages were released from Gaza during the week-long truce last month. Additionally, the bodies of eight hostages have been recovered so far, according to the Israeli army. 

Meanwhile, families of hostages have ramped up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to secure their release, particularly since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted three hostages were mistakenly killed by their troops in Gaza. 

More than 18,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.