Israel reports death of soldier and Hamas hostage Mohammed Alatrasch

Israel has reported the death of another Hamas hostage. Soldier Mohammed Alatrasch was killed in the major Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and then abducted to the Gaza Strip, the hostage families’ forum announced on Monday. The army confirmed the death of the 39-year-old, who leaves behind 13 children from two women.

The number of people killed in the brutal attack by Islamist fighters on Israel on October 7, according to Israeli figures, rose to 1,195 with the confirmed death of the Israeli soldier. More than 250 people were also taken hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, including women and children. Some of them have since been released, others have been freed. According to Israel, 116 hostages are still being held by the radical Islamic Hamas and other Palestinian groups. 42 of them are presumed dead, including new soldiers.

In response to the unprecedented Hamas attack, Israel has been conducting massive military operations in the Gaza Strip since October. According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 37,600 people have been killed so far.

New video in Israel

The hostage families forum also released a video on Monday showing the alleged capture of three other hostages on the day of the Hamas attack. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Elija Cohen can be seen being seized by armed fighters, loaded into a pickup truck and driven into the Gaza Strip. Goldberg-Polin is covered in blood in the footage after part of his left arm was blown off.

“The shocking kidnapping video of Hersh, Or and Elija breaks our hearts and once again highlights the brutality of the enemy we are sworn to destroy,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the material was released. “We will not end the war until we have brought all of our loved ones back home.”

“Bring Hamas hostages home”

Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Gallant also stressed during a visit to the United States on Monday that his government continues to do everything in its power to bring the Hamas hostages “back to their families and home without exception.”

In Washington, Gallant met with the head of the US foreign intelligence service CIA, Bill Burns, the most important US mediator in the negotiations for the release of the hostages. The Israeli Defense Minister also held talks with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.

At the end of May, US President Joe Biden presented a multi-stage plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. The US, together with Qatar and Egypt, has been trying for months to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas, but so far without success.