Hannah Katzir, 77 – Presumed Dead by Hamas-Affiliated Group

Israeli hostage Hannah Katzir, 77, was previously reported to be killed in captivity in Gaza by an Israeli airstrike, until it was confirmed on Friday (November 24) that she was alive, well, and one of 13 Israeli women and children who were liberated after seven weeks in captivity.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) earlier claimed that the old woman was one of the casualties.

"We previously expressed our willingness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy was stalling and this led to her death," the group wrote on Telegram at the time.

Hannah Katzir is confirmed to be alive and is among the released hostages. Just a few days ago, Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced she was dead. This sick manipulation is the psychological warfare that will intensify in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/ey6S5sE1uf
— Eli Kowaz - איליי קואז (@elikowaz) November 24, 2023

In response, Israel Policy Forum senior advisor Eli Kowaz said that Katzir's presumed death back then was, in hindsight, a "sick manipulation" and a weapon for psychological warfare that would just intensify in the coming days.

Hannah Katzir, 77 – Presumed Dead by Hamas-Affiliated Group – Alive, Well, and Free — Posters with images of 77-year-old Israeli Hannah Katzir (L) and 18-year-old Israeli Liri Albag, two of the hostages held by Palestinian Hamas gunmen since the October 7 attack into Israel, are placed near messages during a rally calling for their release in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, on October 28, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. The families of the more than 220 hostages Israeli hostages held by Hamas demanded on October 28, for an immediate government explanation about their fate after the army's intensified strikes. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents some 229 people believed abducted by Hamas, said the war cabinet had failed to explain to relatives whether the ground operation endangered the captives' well-being. JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Who is Hannah Katzir?

According to the New York Post, Katzir was a mother of three and grandmother of six. Abducted alongside her were her neighbors from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Her husband, Avraham "Rami" Katzir, was killed alongside 37 others on October 7.

The couple was among the founders of the kibbutz near the Gaza border.

Meanwhile, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that Katzir's release was "proof" that only official sources of information should be relied upon.