The process of identifying the two deceased hostages whose remains were transferred to the Red Cross by Hamas on Wednesday night has been completed. In an official statement, the two were named as Inbar Hayman and Sgt. Maj. Muhammad el-Atrash. IDF representatives informed their families that their loved ones had been returned to Israel and positively identified.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that the identification was carried out earlier by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate. “The government of Israel shares in the profound grief of the Hayman and el-Atrash families, and of all the families of the hostage casualties,” the statement read. “The government and the entire POW and MIA directorate of the State of Israel are determined, committed, and working tirelessly to bring all our hostage casualties back for proper burial in their homeland.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement: “The families of the hostages embrace at this time the Hayman and el-Atrash families, whose loved ones, Inbar and Muhammad, were brought back to Israel yesterday for proper burial. Amid the sorrow and the understanding that the heart will never be whole, the return of Inbar and Muhammad offers a degree of solace to families who have lived in agonizing uncertainty for over two years. We will not rest and we will not stop until all 19 hostages are brought home.”
The IDF expressed its condolences to the families and stated that it continues to invest every effort in the return of the deceased hostages and is preparing for further implementation of the agreement. “Hamas must fulfill its part of the agreement and make every required effort to return the deceased hostages to their families for proper burial," the IDF said in a statement.
After Hamas announced Wednesday that it had transferred all the hostage remains it could access without further assistance, Israeli officials said that “Hamas must meet its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the agreement’s implementation. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until all the deceased hostages are returned, every last one of them.”
Inbar Hayman, 27, from Haifa, was killed during the Nova music festival in Re’im, according to Israeli intelligence, and taken into Gaza. For over two months, she was listed as alive until her family received the devastating news on December 16, 2023.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Inbar was a gifted young woman, full of love and compassion, and endlessly giving. Her loved ones described her as vibrant, creative and full of life. She studied film in high school and later became a respected graffiti artist with a distinctive style. In the art world, she was known by the names Pink and Raven, and her work was displayed in exhibitions in various countries.
Following her abduction, the slogan “Free Pink” was seen on walls, flags, and clothing across Israel and abroad. Inbar and her partner, Noam Alon, met while studying visual communication at the WIZO Academic Center in Haifa and were about to begin their fourth year together. Inbar had come to the Nova festival as a “helper,” supporting dancers who felt unwell, and was taken from there. She is survived by her parents and brother.
Her mother, Yifat, said in a September interview with Ynet’s studio: “They informed us about Inbar after 70 days, but I have nothing tangible that tells me it’s really true. You can’t mourn. I need closure. If I can’t walk her to the chuppah in a wedding dress, I want to kiss her coffin, lay a flower, speak to her.”
El-Atrash, from the Bedouin town of Sa'wa in the Negev, served as a tracker in the northern brigade of the Gaza Division. He was killed in battle on October 7. After about two months in which he was listed as missing, his family was informed that he had been taken hostage. In June, they were told he had been killed in combat and that Hamas was holding his body.
El-Atrash was married and the father of 13 children. His eldest was 18; his youngest was only a month old at the time of his abduction. He had 22 siblings. His great loves were his family and horses. Since childhood, he had a passion for animals and dreamed of creating a petting zoo. His biggest dream was to establish a horse ranch.