Baruch Dayan HaEmet
Israel identifies fallen hostages returned by Hamas
Heartbreak and Heroism: IDF Identifies Bodies of Nova Festival Hostage Inbar Hayman and Bedouin Tracker Sgt. Maj. Muhammad El-Atrash, Returned by Hamas
In a bittersweet milestone of grief and closure amid the fragile Gaza ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed late Wednesday the identities of two fallen hostages whose bodies were among four returned by Hamas overnight, thrusting families into a vortex of mourning just as the nation exhales from the release of the last 20 living captives.
The remains, handed over at Kerem Shalom crossing as part of President Donald Trump's 20-point truce, belong to Inbar Hayman, 27, a vibrant soul snatched from the Nova music festival, and Sgt. Maj. Muhammad El-Atrash, 39, a devoted Bedouin tracker and father of 13 slain in the October 7 inferno near Nahal Oz outpost. T
Their homecomings, verified through exhaustive forensics at Abu Kabir Institute, cap phase one's grim coda, but ignite fresh fury over Hamas's delays in surrendering the remaining 22 bodies pledged under the deal.
Hayman, the last female hostage whose fate hung in limbo, was kidnapped amid the festival's bloodbath, where Hamas gunmen murdered 364 revelers and seized 40, before being executed in captivity, her family revealed in a shattering statement. A free-spirited artist from Revava in the West Bank, she embodied joy: friends recall her dancing under the desert stars, her infectious laugh a beacon in dark times. "Inbar lit up every room, every playlist," her sister told Channel 12, clutching a faded festival bracelet.
Declared dead by the IDF in November 2023 based on intelligence, her body became a bargaining chip, with Hamas dangling proof-of-life videos that twisted the knife for her parents, who camped weekly at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.
Now, as Simchat Torah echoes with mixed sobs and songs marking two Hebrew years since the massacre, Hayman's return offers a thread of finality, yet her loved ones vow to fight for the 21 other fallen still withheld, accusing the terror group of "desecrating the dead for propaganda."
The Forum for Hostage Families stated:
Inbar Hyman (27), from Haifa, was a gifted young woman, full of love, empathy, and endless generosity. Her relatives describe her as overflowing with creativity and a contagious zest for life. Inbar studied film in high school and, over the years, became a respected graffiti artist known for her unique style.
In the art world, she was recognized by her pseudonyms Pink and Raven, and her works were exhibited in galleries across several countries. After her abduction, the slogan “Free Pink” became a call for her release, appearing on walls, flags, and clothing throughout Israel and around the world.
Inbar and her partner, Noam Alon, met while studying visual communication at the WIZO Haifa Academy of Design and Education and were about to begin their fourth year together. Inbar attended the Nova music festival as a “helper,” assisting dancers who felt unwell, when she was kidnapped.
On December 16, her family was informed that Inbar had been murdered on October 7.
She is survived by her parents and a brother.
El-Atrash was a Bedouin pillar from the Negev village of Sa'wa, the eldest of 23 siblings and a career tracker in the Gaza Division's Northern Brigade, enlisting in 2003 in a role synonymous with his community's valor, scouting threats with unmatched terrain savvy. Killed battling Hamas infiltrators at Nahal Oz, the border base overrun that dawn, claiming 15 soldiers, his body was desecrated and dragged to Gaza, a fact the IDF pieced together only in June 2024 from battlefield forensics and intercepts. Videos shown to his kin, depicting his corpse shuttled between Israel and enemy lines, sealed their torment.
Survived by dual wives Amna and Ktimal, 13 children from 18 months to 18 years, and grieving parents, he was a gentle giant: horse breeder, racer, and dreamer of a petting zoo teeming with steeds, sheep, and goats.
Brothers Salem and Yusef painted vivid portraits to Ynet and Haaretz: "He was serious, cared for everyone—always our advisor at family gatherings," Salem shared, voice cracking over Muhammad's equestrian triumphs and his habit of hoisting kids atop his prized mares.
Yusef evoked sun-drenched races and farm chats: "He loved the sport; his dream was an organized horse haven. Ever since childhood, animals were his world."
Father Ibrahim's December 2023 plea haunts: "His little ones ask daily when Abba returns—we have no answers." The newborn daughter he never held tugs hardest; as Salem told Haaretz in August, "The small ones think he's at work... She won't know him. It's shattering us all."
The identifications come as phase two looms, with Trump declaring on Truth Social: "Job's not done, bodies must flow NOW!" Yet outrage simmers: Hostage families blasted Netanyahu's government for "erasing responsibility," demanding IDF chief meetings after Hamas balked on full compliance, citing "logistical hurdles" in retrieving remains from Rafah outposts or shallow graves.
UN envoy warnings of "psychological warfare" echo, as does a Washington Post tally of the 19 still held: from Hadar Goldin (abducted 2014) to Thai workers like Sonthaya Oakkharasri.