An association of hostage families announced today that an Israeli hostage kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been killed.

The Israeli military has informed the family of Uriel Baruch, whose body remains in Gaza, according to the statement, which did not specify the date or circumstances of his death.

“The Tikva Forum of Hostage Families mourns the announcement of the death of Uriel Baruch,” the association writes.

Uriel Baruch, 35, a father of two, was kidnapped during the Nova music festival, where 364 people were massacred on October 7 by Hamas commandos.

“Uriel was a happy man and loved by all… his smile and love for his fellow man will be remembered,” his family said in the statement.

The Palestinian Islamist movement had taken more than 250 hostages in an unprecedented attack on Israeli soil. Nearly 100 hostages were released in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel during a truce in late November. According to the Israeli authorities, 130 abductees remain in the Gaza Strip, of which 34 are believed to be dead.

The October 7 attack left more than 1,160 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In retaliation, Israel launched an offensive that has already killed more than 32,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Hamas’ health ministry.