A nature lover, a young father: Who were the 6 hostages found dead in Gaza?

Five of them had been abducted from the Tribe of Nova trance music festival and one from a kibbutz in southern Israel. According to the latest government figures, 64 hostages are believed to still be alive and in captivity in the Gaza Strip, but Israel has not given the full basis for its estimates.

A medical examination of the dead bodies indicated the six had been killed by “multiple close-range gunshots” within the previous 48 to 72 hours, according to Shira Solomon, a spokesperson for Israel’s Health Ministry. At least four of them were presumed to be on the list of hostages due for release in the event of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire, The Washington Post reported.

Here’s who they were:

Ori Danino, 25

Danino was the eldest of five siblings and had planned to start his studies to become an engineer, according to a statement from the Hostage Families Forum, an umbrella group for most of the hostage families. Describing him as a nature lover, the forum said, “Ori was known for his ambition, love for people, and was beloved by all.”

He was kidnapped from the Tribe of Nova music festival when he attempted to help others, the statement added.

His killing came as a shock, his partner Liel Avraham said, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Under no scenario did we expect such an end. We knew that Ori was alive until very recently,” she said.

His brother, Aharon, gave a moving speech at Danino’s funeral held in Jerusalem, according to Israeli media. “You always ensured that I would feel protected, safe — that no matter what, you would always be there to help and protect,” Aharon said.

Carmel Gat, 40

Gat, 40, an occupational therapist from Tel Aviv, was visiting her parents in a kibbutz in southern Israel when Hamas militants kidnapped her on Oct. 7. Her mother, Kinneret, was killed.

A fan of live rock music concerts, especially Radiohead, Gat liked to travel and meet new people, according to the Hostage Families Forum, which has been advocating for the captives’ release.

Hostages who had been returned to Israel during a temporary cease-fire in November described Gat as a “guardian angel.” She taught meditation and yoga to help them endure their long internment.

Speaking at a public square in Tel Aviv that has become the site of regular rallies for the hostages, her cousin, Gil Dickmann, said Gat was set to be released on the morning the temporary cease-fire collapsed. (Her sister-in-law, Yarden Roman-Gat, was released after 54 days in captivity.)

“We were just hours away — and our Carmeli could have been home now. We missed the opportunity to bring her back, along with other young women, elderly and sick men who could have been released alive that day,” he told the gathered crowd. Writing on X on Sunday, he apologized to his cousin: “Sorry, Carmeli. Sorry I didn’t do enough.”

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23

Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American citizen born in California and raised in Jerusalem, became one of the public faces of the hostages in large part because of his parents’ campaigning.

Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention last month, ending their speech with an impassioned message to their son: We love you, stay strong, survive.

Goldberg-Polin was attending the Tribe of Nova music festival in southern Israel to celebrate his birthday when Hamas militants invaded.

He sought safety in a public bomb shelter as the militants threw grenades and fired weapons at the shelter, according to eyewitnesses.

Goldberg-Polin was injured in the attack, emerging from the shelter with his arm missing from the elbow down and an improvised tourniquet. On April 24, Hamas released a video of Goldberg-Polin showing his amputated hand, according to the Hostage Families Forum.

The last communication his mother had with him was two messages on WhatsApp on the morning of the attack.

“I love you,” the first read. The next one said: “I’m sorry.”

Alexander Lobanov, 32

Lobanov, from Ashkelon, a city on the Mediterranean coast south of Tel Aviv, was working as a bartender at the music festival.

According to the hostage forum, Lobanov helped evacuate other people from the festival — running with five others into a nearby forest. The others escaped. Lobanov was captured by Hamas militants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to his parents, Oksana and Gregory, for failing to return Lobanov and the other hostages alive. “I want to tell you how sorry I am and ask for forgiveness,” he said, according to a statement released by the prime minister’s office.

Lobanov was married, with a 2-year-old child and a 5-month-old baby born while he was in captivity, according to the hostage forum.

At his funeral on Sunday evening, his wife, Michal, tearfully described him as a man who loved life and freedom: traits she promised to pass on to their children, the Times of Israel reported.

Almog Sarusi, 27

Sarusi was from the city of Raanana in central Israel and loved traveling in a white jeep with his guitar, the forum said. He was taken captive from the Nova festival, it said, adding that his girlfriend was killed in the Hamas attack on the venue.

The forum described him as a “vibrant, positive person.”

His mother Nira spoke through tears of the family’s ordeal at his funeral on Sunday, Israeli media reported.

“How we prayed to hug you, to see your smile. We hoped to see you happy, surrounded by family and friends, but you were abandoned, day by day,” she said, in a criticism of the Israeli government for failing to negotiate the release of hostages.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24

A “vibrant, young woman” from Tel Aviv, Yerushalmi was studying to become a Pilates instructor before her violent abduction, the forum said. She was in touch with her sisters, Shani and May, for four hours, as she tried to escape the unfolding Hamas attack.

Her sister, Shani, guided Eden to stay quiet and appear lifeless, the group Bring Them Home Now shared in a Facebook post in October. “Shani, they caught me,” were the last words she said to her sisters, the post said. She turned 24 in captivity.

“She loves life and lives it to the fullest,” a video released in April said, showing images of her making TikTok videos with her sister.

At her funeral in Petah Tikva on Sunday, her father collapsed in grief and read his eulogy from a chair.