Hostage Almog Sarusi declared dead and body recovered from Hamas tunnel

On September 1, 2024, the IDF announced the death and recovery of the body of Almog Sarusi from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the military, Sarusi was murdered alongside five other hostages by their captors not long before they were found. Below are initial reports of his capture and its aftermath: 

Almog Sarusi, 25, was missing since October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched an assault on the Supernova music rave, killing, assaulting and kidnapping hundreds.

Almog was at the party with his girlfriend, Shahar Gindi, a psychology student at Ariel University. Shahar’s body was later found.

Almog’s family was notified twice by the authorities that their son’s body was found, but it was discovered both times that it was, in fact, not him.

Almog’s sister has spoken publicly about the strain and terror of those errors, berating the authorities for making those kinds of mistakes for a family living out the worst kind of nightmare.

Almog’s father, Igal Sarusi, spoke at a press conference for families of those missing, following a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The senior Sarusi said that Netanyahu listened to the representatives, and took everything they said into consideration.

“He understands,” said Sarusi.