SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Israel confirms death of soldier in October 7 attack
Jerusalem, March 17 (AFP) Mar 17, 2024
The Israeli military said on Sunday that a soldier believed to have been held hostage in the Gaza Strip died during Hamas's October 7 attack.

Captain Daniel Perez, 22, was killed in the unprecedented attack on southern Israel which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, and "his body is in the hands of a terrorist organization", a statement said.

He is the 33rd hostage confirmed dead -- including eight soldiers -- out of about 130 captives still held in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas militants seized about 250 hostages during the attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Perez's family has been notified and he has been posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant, Sunday's military statement said.

Confirmation of his death comes five days after the military announced that another soldier believed to be held in Gaza, 19-year-old Sergeant Itay Hen, also perished on October 7.

At a rally calling for the return of hostages on Saturday night, Perez's father, Rabbi Daniel Perez, said "all the hostages taken from their cradles, from their beds and those who defended their people must return unconditionally".

Israel's retaliatory military campaign to eliminate Hamas has killed at least 31,645 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Israel is expected to send a delegation to Qatar to participate in a new round of talks about a potential truce in Gaza that would also see hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Delft and Brown researchers unveil ultrathin sails for laser propulsion in space
Mainland Europe's first orbital rocket launch postponed
NASA's Curiosity Rover Detects Largest Organic Molecules Found on Mars

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Chinese EV giant BYD surpasses rival Tesla with record 2024 revenue
Trump to impose sharp tariffs on countries buying Venezuelan oil
Space Solar teams with MagDrive to boost in-orbit solar power systems

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
SpaceX launches classified payload from Florida for Defense Department
US, Russia in Ukraine ceasefire talks as 65 wounded in latest strike
Iran says open to indirect nuclear talks with US

24/7 News Coverage
SeaPerch: A robot with a mission
NASA's EZIE Satellites Confirm Operational Status in Early Mission Phase
Amplified warming risks from long-term climate and carbon feedbacks



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.