A grim revelation has emerged from the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, as a recently freed hostage reportedly disclosed the death of a fellow captive during his time in Gaza. Hebrew media outlets have identified the deceased as Aryeh Zalmanovich, 85, whose passing was confirmed in December.
As reported by Times of Israel, the account comes from Farhan al-Qadi, a rescued hostage who shared his harrowing experience with Ata Abu Madighem, a former mayor of Rahat. Abu Madighem relayed al-Qadi's story to the press, as broadcast on Channel 12 news following their meeting at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
"He said that one of the hostages, who was with him for two months, died next to him," Abu Madighem reported. The former mayor emphasized the emotional toll this event has taken on al-Qadi, stating, "This story is breaking his heart. He has many [terrible] memories. But ultimately, he is talking about being saved, rescued."
In a separate interview with Kan TV, Abu Madighem added that the deceased hostage was a Jewish man, though he was not at liberty to provide further details.
As of now, neither the IDF nor the Hostage Families Forum have commented on this report.
