Woman Declared Dead By Islamic Jihad Returns From Captivity

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — One of those released in Friday’s prisoner exchange is Chana Katzir, a 77-year-old woman from Nir Oz.

On the 9th of October, Islamic Jihad published footage of Katzir, as well as of 13-year-old Yagil Ya’akov. Islamic Jihad later claimed she had died from “medical complications.”

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari commented on her release by Hamas, and clarified that “Despite Hamas’s psychological warfare, we must refrain from spreading unverified information. In this case, dear Chana Katzir returned to her home after terrorist organizations claimed she was killed several days ago. We must not forget for a moment that Hamas is a cruel enemy and so we must rely only on official reports.”

Kibbutz Nir Oz released a statement that despite the reports of her death, they still believed she was alive: “She is a strong woman, from the generation of the founding fathers, and despite her health conditions, she was a true survivor. We did not believe that she had died in captivity.”

Katzir is a mother to three, and a grandmother to six. For several years, she treated the children of the kibbutz with great dedication. She requires both a walker and life-saving medications, and was kidnapped on October 7th to the Gaza Strip without either one. Her husband, Rami Katzir, 79, was murdered by terrorists during the attack. Her son, Elad (47), is still in captivity.