Aryeh Zalmanovich was murdered beside his friend Farhan al-Qadi

The hostage who was murdered alongside Qaid Farhan al-Qadi has been named as Aryeh Zalmanovich.

Al-Qadi was rescued earlier this week after he escaped the tunnel where he had been held captive and met up with IDF soldiers sweeping the tunnels for terrorists.

Following his rescue, al-Qadi told former Rahat mayor Ata Abu Madighem that he had been held together with another hostage who died in captivity.

"Farhan told about a friend of his who was in captivity with him, a Jew who after two months, I think in December 2023, died next to him. It broke his heart," he said.

On Thursday, that friend was named as Aryeh Zalmanovich, 85, of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Zalmanovich died in December 2023, and his body is still held captive in Gaza.

On Wednesday, al-Qadi met the Zalmanovich family, and told them of his experiences alongside Aryeh.

According to al-Qadi, Hamas terrorists filmed Zalmanovich's deterioration, and "immediately afterwards, they filmed me as well, and then I saw how he was murdered in captivity."

Both men were held together in a hospital in southern Gaza, and shortly after Aryeh Zalmanovich's death, al-Qadi was moved to an underground terror tunnel.

Boaz, Zalmanovich's son, told Kan News, "My father was in a hospital in southern Gaza, together with Farhan, throughout his entire time in captivity - about 40 days. A special bond formed between them. Farhan was wounded as well, but he cared for my father and supported him. My father was old and sick, and he did not receive medications or appropriate care - and he was murdered in this fashion, tortured in body and soul. They don't always shoot them. My father told Farhan that he loves us and worries about the members of the kibbutz, he knew what had happened to them."