There's an End to Doubt: How to Determine the Death of a Hostage?

For hostages declared deceased, the families mourn and sit shiva, even though the bodies are still in enemy hands. There are 20 families defined this way since the war began. The Military Rabbinate works day and night to shed light on the hostages' condition, conclusively determine their death, and eliminate the gnawing doubt.

Oz Daniel's mother, may his memory be a blessing, shares: "His gravestone is ready; it's a grave like all others, except Oz's body is not here; we're waiting to close the circle."

Oz's father explains: "There was strong evidence that Oz was no longer alive since October 7th, but we couldn't close the circle and determine it unequivocally."

Oz's mother adds: "We received the announcement that he was no longer alive 142 days after his abduction; they told us he fell and was kidnapped in Gaza."

Lt. Col. Rabbi Udi Schwartz sheds light on the procedure: "There were deliberations that lasted two to three hours, and others that took two to three months, depending on the nature and verification of the information. We've never had to deal with these issues for years to reach the desired result, to bring solace to the family and put an end to doubt. The evidence is primarily intelligence-based, but we need to tell the story in a certain and unequivocal manner."

Oz's father shares: "Rabbi Udi came back once, then a second time, and a third time, it was final and scientific. When I asked him why he said it three times instead of once, each time another layer of defense was removed, and we believed him; it was important."

Lt. Col. Udi Schwartz adds: "These moments are hard to talk about; the knock on the door, the visit to the family's home, experiences that are deeply etched in the heart and soul. But we saw how a family that didn't sleep night or day because of the gnawing doubt about where he was, found a ray of light in great darkness with the determination that 'your son is in captivity and not among the living.'"

A deceased hostage is an open case, a file that remains open. Maj. Gen. Shlomo Goren initially dealt with this during the War of Independence and then during the Yom Kippur War. The Rabbinate has addressed this issue in Operation Protective Edge as well, but in this war, the scale was exceptional. The families were convinced by the depth and seriousness of the process and accepted the fact that their son or daughter was no longer alive.

Oz's father: "Seven levels of hell to be parents of a hostage without knowing what's happening to him, but I'd trade with any parent of a hostage; give me a one percent chance, I'll trade with him now."