Cleared for publication: Hostages Yagev Buchshtab & Alex Dancyg were murdered in captivity

Yagev Buchshtab and Alex Dancyg, kidnapped on October 7, were murdered while held hostage in Gaza, the IDF announced.

Yagev Buchshtab (35) was a humble and unassuming man who loved life in Kibbutz Nirim. A sound technician by profession, Yagev had a deep passion for music. From a young age, he played guitar and flute, later expanding to other instruments, some of which he built himself.

Together with his wife Rimon, Yagev cared for five dogs and five cats, several of which they had rescued and rehabilitated.

Yagev was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nirim along with his wife, Rimon Buchshtab-Kirsht, who was released after 50 days in captivity.

In its announcement regarding Buchstab's death, Kibbutz Nirim said, "With deep sorry and great pain, we were informed now of the murder of our son and friend, Yagev Buchshtab, in Hamas captivity in Gaza."

"We share in the pain and great mourning of Esther, Oren, Nofar, Yuval and Hadar, Rimon, Carmela, and the entire family, and we embrace them."

Alex Dancyg (76) was a historian, educator, and farmer. Born to Holocaust survivors, he became one of the founders of educational delegations to Poland. Alex worked at Yad Vashem for about 30 years, where he trained thousands of guides in Holocaust education.

Hostages who were held captive with him reported that Alex spent his time in captivity giving history lectures to fellow captives.

Alex was an avid reader with a passion for history and enjoyed various sports.

Sunday would have been his 76th birthday.

Alex's son, Yuval, wrote: "It should not have ended this way. You were abducted alive and breathing from your bed on that cursed morning and you needed to have returned home alive and well to us. Sorry that we did not succeed in this task. We will continue to do everything to succeed in the task that is before us now: to bring you back for the proper burial you deserve."

He added: "In the past months I've learned how many people were touched by you and what an amazing legacy you've left. I commit to carrying this legacy with me everywhere and to tell anyone who wants to hear about who you were and your work. Since that's what's important. Now is the time for mourning and memory. The time of reckoning with those responsible for what happened will come. We won't give up."

"The families requests that their privacy be respected during this difficult time and asks not to be contacted," the Hostages Families Forum said.

The Forum added: "This morning's devastating news about their deaths serves as yet another stark reminder of the urgency to bring home the hostages, who face immediate mortal danger every moment in Hamas' hell."

"Yagev and Alex were taken alive and should have returned alive to their families and to their country.

"Their death in captivity is a tragic reflection of the consequences of foot-dragging in negotiations. We reiterate our demand to the Israeli government and its leader: Approve the deal immediately and bring back all 120 hostages - the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for proper burial in their homeland. Time continues to run out for the hostages with each passing week."

The IDF confirmed: "IDF representatives on Monday informed the families of Yagev Buchshtab and Alex Dancyg, of blessed memory, who were brutally kidnapped to the territory of the Gaza Strip, that they are not among the living, and their bodies are being held by the Hamas terror group."

"The decision to declare their deaths was based on intelligence information and approved by the Health Ministry's committee of experts, in cooperation with the Religious Affairs Ministry and Israel Police.

"The circumstances of their deaths in Hamas captivity are under investigation by all of the relevant professionals.

"The IDF operates in a wide variety of methods in order to gather information about the hostages in the Gaza Strip. The IDF and Israeli security agencies will continue to accompany the families of the hostages for as long as required."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked: "With deep pain and sorrow, my wife Sara and I were notified that Yagev Buchshtab and Alex Dancyg, who are hostages in Hamas captivity, are no longer among the living. Our hearts are with the dear families in their heavy mourning. I am committed to bringing home all of our hostages - the living and dead as one."