
Professor Ofer Merin, Director General of Shaare Zedek Medical Center and a member of the committee charged with examining the conditions of the hostages held in Gaza, on Wednesday morning shared how the death of hostage Lior Rudaeff was determined, so many months later.
Rudaeff's death was announced on Tuesday, seven months after he was believed to be taken hostage to Gaza. Though Rudaeff was initially believed to have been kidnapped alive, Tuesday's announcement revealed that he had been killed in the massacre, and his body taken to Gaza.
Speaking to Kan Reshet Bet, Prof. Merin said that the announcement of Rudaeff's murder followed the discovery of a new video, which was seen for the first time over the weekend.
Regarding whether the other hostages are still alive, he added, "I will say this carefully, since we are discussing family issues: Families know that there is a lack of certainty regarding some of the hostages who are being held."
In their Tuesday announcement, the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters mourned, "Lior Rudaeff, 61, lived a life dedicated to helping others, with a boundless heart and generosity that touched all who knew him. For four decades, he volunteered as an ambulance driver, always the first to step up and lend a hand to anyone in need."
"An Argentinian at heart, Lior was a passionate cyclist and a fan of Shlomo Artzi. Lior was married to Yaffa for 38 years. He was a loving father to Noam, Nadav, Bar, and Ben, and a doting grandfather to Tomer and Dagan," the announcement concluded.