Dolev Yehud, 35, initially believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists to Gaza on October 7, has been confirmed dead after his body was identified in Israel, according to the military.

Yehud, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border, was a dedicated volunteer medic with Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah. On the morning of October 7, he left his home to assist others during the Hamas attack but was ultimately killed.

Initially, the IDF suspected that Yehud had been abducted. However, unlike other hostages, there were no signs of him being in Gaza, prompting authorities to reevaluate unidentified remains found at the kibbutz following the attack.

The brutality of the Hamas assault left many victims’ bodies burned or mutilated beyond recognition, complicating identification efforts. New scientific identification tests, combined with the location where the remains were discovered, confirmed that one of the previously unidentified bodies was Yehud’s.

The IDF notified Dolev’s family following the confirmation of his identity. Yehud was married and had four children; his wife, Sigal, gave birth to their fourth child while he was believed to be held captive. Tragically, his sister, Arbel Yehud, 28, is still being held by the terrorist group in Gaza.

This identification reduces the number of hostages taken on October 7 from 252 to 251.