Death of Franco-Israeli Hostage Ohad Yahalomi: A Heroic Father, Symbol of the October 7 Tragedy

The body of Ohad Yahalomi, a Franco-Israeli hostage abducted during Hamas’s attack on the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7, 2023, was returned to Israel as part of a prisoner exchange supervised by the International Red Cross and Egyptian representatives. The kibbutz confirmed his death after identification at the national forensic institute in Tel Aviv, ending months of uncertainty for his loved ones.

President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the news on social media: “I share the immense pain of his family and loved ones. France lost fifty of its children in the infamy of October 7. Hamas’s barbarity must end.”

A Family Man Caught in the Violence of War
On the day of the attack, 49-year-old Ohad Yahalomi tried to protect his wife and three children by standing armed in front of their safe room door, which wouldn’t lock. He was wounded in a gunfight and taken hostage. His wife Bat-Sheva and two of their children managed to escape, while their son Eitan, 12, was released in November 2023 during the first ceasefire.

Ohad Yahalomi is the second of four hostages whose bodies were returned to Israel overnight, in exchange for the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners. This exchange marks the last stage of the initial ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, which began on January 19 after fifteen months of war.

A Tense Exchange and an Uncertain Future
The return of the bodies took place without ceremonies organized by Hamas, following a request from Israeli authorities, after previous public displays had sparked outrage. Meanwhile, witnesses reported the arrival of hundreds of released Palestinian prisoners in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

So far, the ceasefire has resulted in the return of 33 hostages, including eight deceased, in exchange for nearly 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. However, the future of the truce remains uncertain: negotiations for the second phase, set to begin on March 2, which aims to end the war and free the remaining hostages, have yet to be finalized.

A Symbol of the October 7 Tragedy
The Nir Oz kibbutz paid tribute to Ohad Yahalomi, describing him as a “devoted father, passionate about sports, and a lover of the desert he roamed tirelessly.” His death adds to the heavy toll of the Hamas attack, which killed 1,215 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and resulted in the abduction of 251 individuals.

In retaliation, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has claimed at least 48,319 lives, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, with figures deemed credible by the UN. This tragic toll underscores the urgent need for a lasting solution to end the suffering of civilians on both sides of the conflict.