The Hamas terror group on Saturday released a new photo of hostage Matan Zangauker.
Matan, originally from Ofakim, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 along with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky, who was released in November 2023 as part of the first deal with Hamas.
At 4:00 p.m., Hamas claimed that IDF forces had surrounded the location in Gaza where Matan Zangauker is being held, and issued a threat: “We state unequivocally that the enemy will not be able to extract him alive. If he is killed during an attempted rescue— the occupation army will bear full responsibility for his death, after we preserved his life for a year and eight months.”
The IDF, in parallel, stated that it is operating underground at the location, from which a body was retrieved. The body is now being examined to determine if it belongs to Mohammad Sinwar.
New details about Matan Zangauker’s captivity conditions were revealed about two weeks ago. According to those reports, he was held with Edan Alexander from October 7 until Alexander’s release, and is now alone. As of the day of Alexander’s release, Matan was alive.
Matan has lost a significant amount of weight over the months of captivity. He suffers from tremors and weakness, likely due to a degenerative muscle disease, and struggles to stand. Due to his illness and the harsh captivity conditions, he has experienced prolonged bowel blockages and severe abdominal pain, requiring emergency medical intervention.