Hostage Carmel Gat declared dead, body recovered from Hamas tunnel
40-year-old yoga instructed was visiting her family in Kibbutz Be’eri when captured on October 7
On September 1, 2024, the IDF announced the death and recovery of the body of Carmel Gat from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the military, Gat was murdered alongside five other hostages by their captors not long before they were found. Below are initial reports of her capture and its aftermath:
Carmel Gat, 40, an occupational therapist from Tel Aviv, was visiting her parents in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked, killing her mother, Kinneret. Gat was taken captive, as well as her brother, Alon, sister-in-law Yarden Roman-Gat, and niece, Geffen, who were also visiting.
The family learned on October 15 that Kinneret was killed.
During the Hamas onslaught on October 7, Alon, and his three-year-old daughter, Geffen, were able to escape their captors and remained free. Wife Yarden, 36, also initially escaped but was recaptured. She was held hostage in Gaza and released on November 29 as part of the Qatari-brokered cease-fire deal.
With the release of dozens of hostages, the family received word that Carmel had been sighted by other hostages. They reported she was kept captive with some children and did yoga once a day with them.
“Carmel is strong,” said her cousin, Gil Dickmann, in several interviews.
An occupational therapist by training who was supposed to start her studies for a master’s degree in October, Carmel loves travel, music and meeting new people.
