IDF confirmed Wednesday that Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped alive by Hamas on October 7, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza two days after the war began — while still in captivity.
Nimrodi, who was 18 at the time, was abducted from the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison (DCL) base, where he served as an education noncommissioned officer. He was taken along with Sgt. Ron Sherman, Cpl. Nik Beizer, and Elia Toledano. According to the IDF, all four were “very likely” killed on October 9, 2023, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Hamas senior operative Ahmed Ghandour.
The military said its assessment is based on extensive evidence — including the location of the bodies, operational and intelligence analyses, pathology reports, and findings from the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine — but that the circumstances cannot be confirmed with absolute certainty. “This is a high-probability assessment based on all available data,” the IDF said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Wednesday that the date corresponds with the Hebrew anniversary of Nimrodi’s murder, describing it as a painful reminder for families still waiting for news of their loved ones.
Hamas had claimed on October 14, 2023, that Nimrodi was killed in an Israeli airstrike two days after the attack. At the time, there was no confirmation, and his family continued to hope for his return.
Until his identification earlier this week at the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine, Nimrodi had been the only remaining hostage in Gaza not officially declared dead. His family had received no signs of life or information about his condition since the day of his abduction, though they had seen video footage of him being led away on foot by Hamas fighters.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Hostages Forum said: “Tamir was abducted alive from his base and killed in an IDF airstrike while in captivity.” His family said simply: “Tamir was murdered in captivity.”
Nimrodi was the eldest son of Herut and Alon, and brother to Mika and Amit. His mother said only a day earlier that she still believed he could return home. “There was no declaration of death. No professional body saw fit to define Tamir as fallen, and Hamas didn’t prove he was dead,” she told Ynet. “So even today he was officially considered alive, which is absurd.”
Hours later, the family received the news that his body had been identified.
Those close to him described Nimrodi as compassionate and dedicated. After his abduction, a note was found in his uniform that read: “To help as many people as possible, to create a close social circle, not to hurt anyone.”
His friend and fellow soldier Romi Efrat, who discovered the note, said: “Such powerful words — they show exactly who you were, Tamir.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Nimrodi had served ten months before being kidnapped. He had recently completed interviews for officer training and had volunteered to remain on base over the weekend of October 7 so his friends could go home for the holiday.
“Tamir felt he had found his purpose in the army,” the forum said. “He cared deeply for those around him, and he stayed behind to let others be with their families. That was who he was.”
