Israel confirmed on Monday the deaths of two hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the October 7 attacks, including a prominent Polish-Israeli historian.
The families of Alex Dancyg, 76, and 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab have been informed of their deaths in custody, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
According to the Israeli military, their bodies are still being held by Hamas.
The decision to publicly confirm the deaths of the two men was based on intelligence information and was “approved by a committee of experts.” The circumstances of their deaths while in Hamas custody are being investigated, the military said.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, a body set up by the relatives of those abducted on October 7, organised tributes to the two men.
Dancyg, a Polish historian, worked at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and was dedicated to promoting closer ties between Israel and Poland, including organizing school trips.
Hostages released after negotiations between Israel and Hamas said Dancyg had given history lessons during their captivity in Gaza.
“Yagev and Alex were captured alive and should have been returned alive to their families and their country,” the forum said.
The deaths were described as a tragic consequence of delays in negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza, which would see the remaining 120 hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The forum demanded that the Israeli government immediately agree to a hostage deal. “Every week that passes means less time for the hostages,” the forum said.
