Some 102 days after they were kidnapped, the families of Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi were informed that the two men were murdered in Hamas captivity. Their bodies are still being held in Gaza.
"It is with heartbreak and deep sorrow that we learned this evening of the murder of Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi," said a statement from Kibbutz Be'eri, from where the two were kidnapped. "Their bodies are in the hands of Hamas; we will demand their return along with the rest of our hostages. Our hearts are with the families in their immense pain."
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On Monday, in a special statement after a psychological terror video was released by Hamas, IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari reported that there was grave concern for the lives of Sharabi, 53, and Svirsky, 38. Also seen in the video was Noa Argamani, 26, from Be'er Sheva, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, and about whom Hagari said that "we received a sign of life from her."
"Hamas once again made cruel use of innocent people," the IDF spokesman said in his statement Monday night. He denied Hamas' claim that they were hit by IDF airstrikes.
"The building where they were held was not a target, and it was not attacked by our forces. We did not know their location in real time, but we don't attack a place where we know that there might be hostages. In retrospect, we know that we attacked targets near the place where they were held."
Yossi Sharabi, the marketing manager of Be'eri Printing, was kidnapped to Gaza together with Ofir Engel, the partner of his daughter, Yuval, and his brother Eli. Engel, 18, was returned to his family after 54 days in the captivity of Hamas, as part of the hostage deal.
Itai Svirsky visited his family in Kibbutz Be'eri on Saturday October 7. His parents, Orit and Rafi Svirsky, were murdered in the massacre at the kibbutz.