IDF recovers body of Brazilian-Israeli Michel Nisenbaum, slain by Hamas on October 7
Sderot resident immigrated to Israel in 1988 from Brazil, was presumed a hostage
On May 24, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces announced it recovered the body of presumed hostage Michel Nisenbaum, 59, from the northern Gaza Strip in an overnight operation. According to new “reliable intelligence” discovered amid the war, Nisenbaum was killed on October 7, 2023, near Mefalsim. Below are the initial reports of his presumed capture:
The Brazilian government confirmed in late October that one of its citizens is believed to be among the approximately 250 hostages being held by Hamas since the October 7 invasion of Israel that left some 1,200 dead and thousands wounded.
Michel Nisenbaum, a 59-year-old originally from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro state, has resided in Israel since 1988 after making aliyah. He currently lives in Sderot and is the father of two daughters and grandfather to five.
According to the Nisenbaums, they were speaking with Michel on the phone in the early morning of October 7 when the call abruptly ended. They recount that nearly 30 minutes later when his daughter managed to reconnect, she heard an unfamiliar voice speaking Arabic and repeatedly mentioning the name of the terrorist group Hamas.
The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed by the family about their suspicions that Nisenbaum had been taken by Hamas. While Israeli officers stated last week that individuals of various nationalities were among the abducted, including Brazilians, the latter information was never officially confirmed.
As of October 23, three individuals who were born in Brazil and lived in Israel have been identified as killed by Hamas: Ranani Nidejelski Glazer, 23, Bruna Valenu, 24, and Karla Stelzer, 42. They were all attending the Supernova music festival where over 350 people lost their lives during the Hamas multi-pronged attack.
Additionally, three individuals who were born in Israel to Brazilian parents also lost their lives: Gavriel Yishay Barel, 22, who was also at the festival, Celeste Fishbein, 18, who was unable to find shelter during the attack at the kibbutz where she lived with her family, and Noam Elimelech Rotenberg, 24, a sergeant with the IDF killed on duty.
The Times of Israel Community.