Body of hostage Eden Yerushalmi recovered from Hamas tunnel in IDF op

On September 1, 2024, the IDF announced the death and recovery of the body of Eden Yerushalmi from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the military, Yerushalmi 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: 

Eden Yerushalmi, 24, was taken captive from the Supernova music rave by Hamas terrorists on October 7, as they raided the outdoor party, killing hundreds and kidnapping dozens of partygoers.

Yerushalmi, a bartender from Tel Aviv, had gone to celebrate at the Supernova with friends.

When the terrorists attacked the party, she called her older sister, Shani, who stayed on the phone with her for hours, along with their younger sister, May.

They were on the line with Yerushalmi when she hid in a car with friends who had been murdered, pretending to be dead. They stayed on the line when she went to hide in thorny bushes. They reminded her to breathe.

For four hours, the three sisters were on the phone together, until they heard gunshots and Yerushalmi cried, “Shani, they caught me!” After that, the phone went dead.