Six Hostages Murdered by Hamas

Israeli forces found the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel under Rafah Saturday. It appears Hamas murdered them shortly before the IDF arrived.

Carmel Gat, 40, an occupational therapist from Tel Aviv, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, were she had visited her parents, both of whom died in the October 7 attack. Hostages released last November said she taught them meditation and yoga exercises while they were in captivity.

The other five victims were all taken from the Nova music festival near Re’im, where Hamas terrorists slaughtered more than 260 people and abducted about 40 on October 7. In total, the Muslim extremists killed 1,200 people that day and took more than 250 hostages to Gaza.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was a dual American-Israeli citizen, who immigrated to the US with his family in 2008 and lost his hand in a grenade blast October 7. His parents addressed several world leaders over the past few months to press for his release.

Ori Danino, 24, from Jerusalem, planned to study electrical engineering. He reportedly escaped the rave in his car, but then was captured when he turned back to save others.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24, from Tel Aviv, who was studying to be a Pilates instructor, and Alex Lobanov, 32, a Russian Israeli from Ashkelon and the father of a baby and a toddler, were both tending bar at the rave when Hamas attacked. Witnesses said Alex helped evacuate several people, who did indeed escape, before he was captured.

Almog Sarusi, 26, from Ra’anana, loved to travel Israel in his jeep with his guitar. His girlfriend of five years was murdered the day he was abducted.

An estimated 97 hostages abducted October 7 remain in custody, at least 34 of those deceased. Four hostages captured in previous years are also in need of rescue.

To pray by name for the remaining hostages and their families, see our regularly updated post:

Pray for Israel Hostages in Gaza by Name

For updates on the Israel-Gaza war and the Christians harboring in Gaza City, visit our Israel-Gaza page:

Pray for Israel and Gaza in These Trying Times

Lord, please comfort those who mourn and show Yourself to those who fear for the lives of their loved ones still in captivity. Meet them in powerful ways, and bring caring Christians to them to help them through this difficult time and tell them of the HOPE found in Christ. As they cry out to You, give them a hunger for Truth and show them Jesus. Be a Shield of protection around the hostages still held by Hamas. Open the way immediately for their safe release, escape or rescue. As they remain in captivity, please soften the hearts of their Hamas guards to recognize their sin, repent and be saved. Meet them in their dreams and point them to Christ as their way of salvation. You’ve done it before, Lord. Please do it again. Our hearts are grieved by the devastating numbers of those who have died, those who are in need of healing, those who hunger and those undergoing extreme hardship and stress in both Gaza and Israel. But most of all, we long to see the lost saved and the spiritual captives set free. Comfort those who have lost so much, and heal their minds and bodies. Cast out fear with Your perfect love and bring Christians to them to offer healing in the midst of so much suffering. Perform signs and miracles and wonders in such a way that everyone knows You are the One who did that and Jesus is the only way to salvation. Get Bibles into the hands of those who hunger for hope. From out of so much death, bring forth LIFE, Lord. Spark a church-planting movement in Gaza and Israel that spreads all throughout the Middle East. Draw every Palestinian and Israeli heart to Yourself, and then place Christians there in their midst to clearly share Your good news that brings freedom. Replace hatred with LOVE, war with PEACE, and death with new LIFE. Make the horrific acts of Islamic terrorists who claim to serve “God” so repulsive, millions of Muslims will balk at such religion gone wrong and hunger for what is right. May they seek Truth with all their hearts and find You. Show clearly to every Israeli their Messiah has come. Give them dreams and visions, and show them in their scriptures that Jesus is the One they’ve been looking for. Lift the veil from their eyes so they can see You as You truly are. Awaken Israel, Gaza and the nations all around them to Your love. In Your name. Amen.

Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through a donation, or by shopping at Mikaela’s online bookstore, click the buttons below:

Don’t Miss a Day of Prayer

Join the army! Pray through the news for God’s purposes to prevail. To get the daily posts delivered to your inbox in time for your morning quiet times, enter your email address in the space below:

For 30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening, Dare to Be a Mighty Warrior, and other books for all ages on praying forth God’s purposes and breaking free from fear and other strongholds, visit MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com

When you click on the above links to books I have authored, as a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I may receive a small commission for certain purchases.

All proceeds this author receives from book sales go to shining Light in dark places of the world.

Thank you for your support! If you’d like to know more about how you can help the Vincents’ ministry, please contact Mikaela.