Israeli Volunteer Medic, Missing Since Hamas Attack, Found Dead Near Gaza

An Israeli who went missing during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas-led Palestinian gunmen and was presumed to have been taken hostage has been found dead in the border village where he lived, Israeli media said on Monday.

After what it described as lengthy forensics, Israel's military confirmed the identification of the remains of Dolev Yehoud, whose surname has also been spelled Yehud in English.

A military statement said Yehoud, a 35-year-old volunteer medic, was among dozens of residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz killed in the Oct. 7 rampage in which many homes burned to the ground.

Dozens of other residents were taken by Hamas into captivity in the neighbouring Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Among those was Yehoud's sister, Arbel, 28, the family said.

Nine days after the attack, Yehoud's wife gave birth to their fourth child.

The Hamas-led rampage, in which Israel said about 1,200 people were killed in southern Israeli communities, triggered an Israeli offensive in Gaza to try to eliminate the Islamist combatant group.

A total of around 250 people, including foreign tourists and labourers as well as Israelis, were taken hostage in southern Israel on Oct 7. Scores were freed under a Gaza truce in late November.

Following the Yehoud announcement, the Israeli government said 120 of the Oct 7 hostages were believed to be still in Gaza. Of those, 39 have been declared dead in absentia by Israel, based on witness testimony, forensics and intelligence.

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