Ditza Heiman
Prior to the Gaza war breaking out on October 7, 2023, there were four Israeli citizens held hostage in the Gaza Strip: two of whom were alive, and two were dead. During the October 7 attacks that started the Gaza war, 251 additional people were kidnapped and taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, most of whom were Israeli citizens. A total of 168 hostages were returned alive: eight were rescued, five were released outside of ceasefires, and the rest were released in ceasefires during the Gaza war.
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Sep 15, 2026
Center
The 84-year-old kidnapped from Nir Oz and held for 48 days in the home of an UNRWA teacher, as revealed in testimony to the UN Human Rights Council.
Yesh Atid points to this as proof that UNRWA must be fundamentally reformed or dismantled, and that the international community has been too slow to confront the agency's complicity.