Local sources from Israel: חדשות באר שבע והנגב, הארץ.
UK coverage: Haaretz.
In a tragic turn of events, Dror Or, who was believed to be among the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas, has been announced dead. His body, along with that of his wife, Yonat, who was also murdered, is still being held by Hamas. Their two children were kidnapped but later released. The heartbreaking news was revealed by Kibbutz Be’eri, where Dror was the head cheesemaker at a boutique cheese factory. Known for his peaceful nature, creativity, and love, Dror’s death has left the community devastated. The kibbutz is demanding the return of Dror’s remains and all the hostages.
In a surprising development, it was discovered that Eliakim Livman, who was previously believed to be kidnapped, was actually buried mistakenly with another murder victim. The body of Eliakim, who was murdered in a terrorist attack, was found in the burial site of Givat in the Holon cemetery. This revelation came after a month-long process carried out by the ZAKA organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Health, to identify the remains. Similar cases of mistaken burials have been discovered in the past, including the well-known case of Eyal and Ruth Peretz. Eliakim’s family released a statement expressing their grief and gratitude for the support they received during the search. The IDF confirmed that Eliakim was murdered in a terrorist attack led by Hamas on October 7th.
Meanwhile, the security-diplomatic cabinet has postponed the vote on the suspension of activities of the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera in Israel. The vote, which was planned for yesterday, has been rescheduled for the government meeting on Sunday. The postponement is seen as an attempt to pressure Qatar to push Hamas to agree to a prisoner exchange deal. The law passed in the Knesset last month allows the Minister of Communications to suspend broadcasts of foreign channels in Israel with the consent of the Prime Minister and the approval of the cabinet or the government. Despite Egypt’s recent prominence in mediation efforts, Qatar continues to lead indirect contacts between Israel and Hamas, with a commitment to the release of the captives.
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