The tragic story of Efrat Katz, a grandmother taken captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, has come to light as Israel’s military revealed that she was likely killed in a helicopter strike on the vehicle in which she was being held. The Israeli military detailed the failures that led to deadly airstrikes on a convoy of aid workers in Gaza on the same day.
The abduction of Ms. Katz, 67, from Kibbutz Nir Oz was captured on video, showing her cramped in the back of a pickup truck with her daughter and two grandchildren. The military inquiry found that a combat helicopter fired on the vehicle carrying terrorists, which also had hostages inside, leading to the deaths of most of the terrorists and likely Ms. Katz as well.
The helicopter crew was not held responsible as hostages in the vehicle would have been indistinguishable from the terrorists in the chaos of the situation. The air force’s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, called it a tragic and unfortunate event that occurred in the midst of fighting and uncertainty.
Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups had taken more than 200 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack, with about 100 hostages, mostly women and children, being released during a cease-fire in November. At least 30 others are believed to have died in captivity, according to Israeli officials.
In December, the Israeli military admitted to mistakenly killing three hostages in Gaza, causing anguish and calls for another temporary truce to allow more hostages to be released. However, diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire have been stalled for months, despite mounting calls for peace.
