The IDF informed the families of Alex Dancyg, 76, from Nir Oz, and Yagev Buchshtab, 35, from Nirim, that the men were killed several months ago in Gaza, and that their bodies are being held by Hamas. The decision announced on Monday was based on intelligence information and was approved by an expert committee of the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Religious Services and the Israel Police, according to the IDF.
The IDF said they were killed in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip while the IDF was operating in the city, and the circumstances of their deaths are being investigated by the IDF, before they are handed over to the families, communities and the public. In March, Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida told Arab news outlets that Yagev Buchshtab died in Hamas captivity from lack of medicine and from starvation.
The IDF has clarified that there is no connection between the start of Monday's raid in Khan Younis, and the announcement approved by the rabbinate on Sunday night. The deaths of four other hostages killed in captivity in Khan Younis, have previously been announced: Nadav Popplewell, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Chaim Peri.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on the details before his departure for Washington Monday morning by Gal Hirsch, the POW coordinator. The families of the hostages who joined the prime minister during his visit to the US were also informed on the flight. The number of hostages who have been determined to be dead is now 46, out of 120.
The IDF spokesperson said in a statement that "the decision to determine their deaths was based on intelligence information and was approved by an expert committee of the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Religious Services and the Israel Police. The circumstances of their death in Hamas captivity are being examined by all the professional authorities. The IDF operates in a wide variety of methods in order to gather information about the hostages in the Gaza Strip."
Yuval Dancyg, Alex's son, said: "My dear and beloved father. Yesterday you turned 76 and you have reached the age of the country. The country that for more than 50 years you have breathed in the air of its fields morning after morning. The same country that for years neglected your security and that it's a shame that you love it so much. By the time we got to that Black Saturday, I was sure that you would return to Israel in a few days. It doesn't make sense for our citizens to remain in the hands of Hamas."
"In a few days, the Olympics start, with whom will I talk about sports that only you know? Without hearing your commentary. On this day I want to ask you for forgiveness, sorry that you are still there and we were not able to bring you back. I am doing everything, everything and I will not stop for a moment! I hope you come home soon, I love you and miss you," he said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated: "The difficult news this morning about their deaths is further proof of the urgency of returning the hostages who are in immediate danger of death at any moment in the Hamas hell. Yagev and Alex were abducted alive and should have returned alive to their country and their families. Their deaths in captivity are a sad reflection of the meaning of dragging their feet in the negotiations. We return and demand from the government of Israel and its leader: Immediately approve the Netanyahu deal and return the 120 hostages, the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial in their own country. Even this week, time is running out for them."
Yagev was kidnapped with his wife Rimon, who was released after 53 days
Yagev Buchshtab, 35, was kidnapped on the morning of October 7 from Kibbutz Nirim together with his wife Rimon, 36, who was released at the end of November in the first hostage deal after 53 days in captivity. Contact with Yagev's parents, who live near the couple, was cut off in the morning hours of October 7 while they were also hiding in the secure room. A few hours later, when Yagev's father arrived at his son and daughter-in-law's apartment accompanied by military forces, he found it empty with bullet casings on the floor. The five dogs and four cats they raised also were not found.
At the headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, they paid tribute to Yagev: "A humble and simple man who loved life in Kibbutz Nirim. Yagev, who was a sound technician by profession, had a strong passion for music. From a young age, he played the guitar and bagpipes and later on other instruments, some of which he built himself. Together with his wife, Rimon, he raised five dogs and five cats, some of which he collected for rehabilitation. Yagev was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nirim together with his wife, Rimon, who was released after 50 days in captivity."
"After a few tense minutes in the shelter, I heard the terrifying sounds of gunfire, and I immediately reported it," said Esther, Yagev's mother, October, who on normal days is the director of health and welfare at the kibbutz, and in times of crisis is a member of the emergency response team.
In a matter of minutes, Esther received alerts from the emergency response heads in various kibbutzim across the area, spanning from Kerem Shalom in the southern council to Be'eri in the northern part of the council – all of them reporting incidents, and even in places beyond the settlement borders, warnings of infiltrations by terrorists.
In a discussion held about two weeks ago in the health committee in the Knesset, which dealt with the relatives of the hostages, Esther said: "Since October 7, I feel like I am in a tunnel. The only thing I am engaged in is the fight for the return of the hostages, and I put all my other duties aside." She shared that "every day I get up and know I must not give up. I have a family that surrounds me, they are all in the fight. The grandmothers are also in the fight, as much as they are able and in light of their health collapse in the last six months. Both grandmothers went from a light nursing situation to a complex nursing situation, but they are in the fight."
Esther and Yagev's sister, Nofar, celebrated Yagev's 35th birthday in January with a voluntary project of making cakes. The day before, they met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I can say that the families are on edge every day and this edge is starting to be difficult. And the helplessness and the lack of understanding of what is going to happen is difficult, and there was some step up yesterday. The prime minister said that, as was published, there is some Israeli outline, a deal on the table. I hope that there is some possibility and that there will be something from this, that the hostages will all come out," Esther said at the time.
Nofar then told about Rimon's struggle and the continuous expectation of Yagev's return. "They are one of those couples who really can't breathe without each other," she said. "And she literally left half of herself there, and it is very difficult for her to cope and recover when she knows what he is going through. The whole struggle of all the hostages who returned here, but left someone behind, is a truly impossible struggle. Today she made cakes with us and she will share them."
Alex was the grandfather of 13 and dedicated his life to Holocaust education
Alex Dancyg, 76, the founder of a program in which Israeli and Polish schools meet together during Israeli school trips to Poland and a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped on October 7 to the Gaza Strip. He was born in Warsaw, has Polish citizenship and over the years led the Israeli-Polish dialogue and is considered a revered figure in Israel and Poland, where he even received badges of honor.
Alex was a father of four and grandfather of 13. He immigrated to Israel in 1957 and arrived at Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he worked in agriculture and managed the irrigation department, taught generations of students at the Ma'ale Hashur school, and in 1986 decided to dedicate his life to teaching about the Holocaust and creating a dialogue between Jews and Poles.
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Alex Dancyg taught other hostages about Holocaust history while in captivity
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
At the headquarters of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, they paid tribute to Alex: "He was a historian, an educator and a farmer. The son of a Holocaust survivor who was one of the founders of the delegations to Poland, he worked for about 30 years at Yad Vashem and trained thousands of instructors in the teaching of the Holocaust. Hostages who were with him in captivity testified that Alex spent his time in captivity giving lectures on history to others. Alex was a lover of reading, history and many sports. Yesterday was his 76th birthday."
Dancyg's son, Yuval, met in January with Polish President Andrzej Duda, and senior government officials in order to exert international pressure for his release. After the return of some of the hostages in the first cease-fire, some of them said that Alex gave them lessons in history while in captivity. Yuval also marched in the March of the Living on Holocaust Memorial Day.
In an interview with Ynet in May, he told about his father's abduction: "At 8:08 a.m. I called my father, who said there was a massive shooting and terrorists in the kibbutz, and that he was in the secure room. That was our last conversation. My brother Mati was in his secure room with his family all day; luckily the terrorists did not enter their house, one of the only ones on the kibbutz. Mother saw the terrorists approaching the house and entered the secure room with her granddaughters. She managed to hold the door of the secure room for about seven hours, the terrorists shot through the door but did not hit them.
"My brother-in-law Yaron led a battle with the terrorists, while my sister and the children were in the secure room, and at one point he entered the room. The terrorists started setting the house on fire, and they jumped out of the window with the girls. My uncle Itzik, 68, was hit in the hand and called to report to the family, and while he was talking to his brother the terrorists entered the secure room and since then there has been no contact with him."
At a rally held yesterday, Alex's son, Mati, called on Netanyahu to sign a deal for the release of the hostages even before his flight to the United States. "The head of the Mossad warns that the girls in captivity do not have time, the minister of defense warns that the fate of the hostages will soon be sealed, and the prime minister has time to worry about his political survival, at the expense of the lives of the hostages. This is complete madness. If Netanyahu gets on a flight without announcing that he accepts the deal we will raise our voice and warn in the U.S. and all over the world that Netanyahu is the obstacle to the deal, and for many months he has sabotaged it time and time again."
Yad Vashem paid tribute to Dancyg: "Yad Vashem mourns and grieves the death of our friend Alex Dancyg, a devoted and loyal partner in the memory of the Holocaust and its legacy to future generations. Alex was a dedicated partner of Yad Vashem in the training course for youth travel guides in Poland and teaching about the Holocaust in Poland, and led many seminars for educators, clergy and many other non-Jews, within the Yad Vashem Center for Holocaust Education and Teaching. Alex was a man of substance, a respected expert on Polish culture and the complex historical relationship of the two nations. An exemplary family man and a proud farmer."
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan also eulogized Dancyg. “Today, we deeply grieve the loss of our cherished and esteemed colleague, Alex Dancyg. Just yesterday, we marked Alex’s 76th birthday, filled with the hope that he would soon return to us alive and well. Alex’s essence embodied both in spirit and substance, his love for the land and thirst for knowledge," he said. "His vast library at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz reflected his deep connection between his cherished Israeli and Jewish identity and his Polish birthplace. Alex successfully integrated these perspectives into his teaching of the events of World War II in general and of the Holocaust in particular. The news of his tragic death strengthens our commitment to ensure that Alex’s legacy and the stories he passionately preserved are never forgotten”
Gilad Cohen participated in the preparation of this article.