Engel lives in Ramat Rachel, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but he was visiting his girlfriend and her parents in Kibbutz Be’eri at the time of the massacre. According to the CIDI, his father-in-law was also kidnapped. The women of the family were able to escape and were taken to safety by the Israeli army hours later.
According to Israel, Hamas is holding at least 150 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Last week, Hamas reported the deaths of thirteen hostages due to Israeli attacks.
There are probably also Germans among the approximately two hundred hostages that Hamas has taken to the Gaza Strip. The German government says Israel has been attacked by a “terrorist organization” and says it is up to Israel to decide how long the operation against Hamas should last.
Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel on October 7. Approximately 1,300 people died. Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and is preparing for a ground offensive. At least three thousand people have been killed on the Palestinian side.