Argentine-Israeli hostage Lior Rudaeff is declared dead as the number of living hostages dwindles

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) – Lior Rudaeff’s cousin was on her way to an event at Argentina’s parliament to demand his release from Hamas captivity when she received the news: The Israeli army had determined that Rudaeff, 61, had died on May 7 His body had been held hostage by Hamas for the past seven months.

The news came amid mounting revelations that of the roughly 130 hostages held since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, more are likely dead than previously known. Earlier this month, the Israeli army informed the families of 35 hostages that their relatives had been confirmed dead.

Last week it was announced that three more hostages died on October 7: Rudaeff; Dror Or, a father from Kibbutz Beeri whose wife was also killed; and Elyakim Libman, who worked as a security guard at the Nova music festival where hundreds of young people were murdered.

In addition, Hamas has repeatedly scaled back its expectations of how many live hostages it can release in the event of a ceasefire agreement. This week, the terror group unilaterally announced that it had agreed to a deal that Israel said was different from the offer; A key difference was that Hamas said it wanted to include dead hostages in the first 33 releases. Israel had already softened its demands after realizing that there were no 40 living hostages in the first category that could be released under a deal: women and children, elderly men, and the sick and injured.

The revelations come as tense negotiations over a reciprocal agreement are underway and Israel is carrying out what it says is a limited invasion of Rafah, a southern Gaza town full of refugees that Israel says is Hamas’s last stronghold.

Many in Israel and abroad are demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach an agreement to end the fighting and repatriate the hostages. In Argentina, politicians from several parties, Jewish leaders and Israeli Ambassador Eyal Sela attended Tuesday’s parliamentary event to call for the release of the hostages.

They carried photos of the Argentine Israelis who remain hostage: Shiri and Yarden Bibas and their sons Ariel and Kfir, ⁠David Cunio, ⁠Ariel Cunio, ⁠Eitan Horn, ⁠Iair Horn and Rudaeff.

Micaela Rudaeff canceled her participation in the meeting after learning of her cousin’s death, but sent a message.

“It’s been 214 days since Lior died,” she said. “It is difficult to understand what the families of the abductees are going through. All abducted people must now return to their homes healthy, safe and alive. Lior won’t come back alive.”

Lior Rudaeff moved with his family from Argentina to Israel when he was seven. He was an ambulance driver and volunteer medical service provider, father of four children and grandfather of two. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a community with many Argentine citizens, after telling his family that he had been injured fighting Hamas attackers. Five others were killed at the kibbutz on October 7 and five others, all Argentine-Israelis, were released during a brief ceasefire in November.