Nadav Popplewell, 51: Computer whiz and doting uncle

Nadav Popplewell, 51, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, along with his mother, Channah Peri.

Channah was released from captivity six weeks later. In June 2024, Israel announced that Nadav had been slain while in Hamas captivity. His body was recovered from the Strip by IDF troops on August 19, 2024, along with the bodies of five other hostages.

Nadav was seen in a Hamas propaganda video released in May, apparently weeks or months after his death, according to the IDF. He is believed to have been killed in Khan Younis in early 2024, although the circumstances of his death are not clear. On Nadav’s gravestone, his date of death has been left blank.

Nadav’s brother, Roi Popplewell, was murdered in Kibbutz Nirim on October 7 during the Hamas onslaught.

Nadav was buried on August 21, 2024, in Kibbutz Nirim, alongside his father, UK native Rafi, and his brother, Roi, who had originally been buried in Kibbutz Yagur and was reburied in Nirim on the day of Nadav’s funeral.

Nadav was described by loved ones as quiet and sensitive, a computer whiz who loved to read, in particular science fiction novels. He was a doting uncle to his nieces and nephews, and took excellent care of his mother, his family said.

At his funeral, his mother, Channah, said “you took care of me in captivity like you always took care of me. When I was released from captivity, you were alive with all the men. But nobody came for you, nobody worried after you.”

“I’m leaving you next to Roi and you will both take care of each other, next to your beloved father,” she said. “And I know that in the future, we will see each other.”

Writing on Facebook in October 2024, Nadav’s sister, Ayelet, described her feelings ahead of “the first Rosh Hashana without” her two brothers.

“You’re definitely watching me from above and seeing me pretending to be strong and you must be bursting with laughter,” she wrote.

All she has left, she wrote “are memories upon memories. Today I made roast beef, just as you both liked, although Roi would complain that there were too many salads and not enough meat. Tomorrow when we light the barbecue for lunch, you won’t be there.”

“You won’t be there when my children celebrate birthdays, like you weren’t there when we celebrated Mom’s 80th birthday two weeks ago,” Ayelet continued. “Know that we thought about you all day, and we think about you all the time. You are with me all the time… I hope you’re celebrating with Dad over a cold beer (or in Nadav’s case, a cup of orange juice). I hope you’re proud of me, and you know how much I love you.”

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