Hannah Katzir, who was released along with 50 other hostages held by Hamas in a deal in November 2023, died at the age of 76, Kibbutz Nir Oz announced on Tuesday.
“With great sorrow, we announce the passing of Kibbutz member Hannah Katzir, of blessed memory, following a prolonged struggle with complex medical issues after her release from captivity,” the statement read.
Her funeral is set to be held at Kibbutz Nir Oz at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Katzir was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and was returned in the November hostage deal of last year. Her husband, Rami, was murdered during the massacre.
Prior to her release, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed she had been killed in a strike carried out by the Israel Air Force while being held in captivity.
Her daughter, Carmit, had written in December last year that her mother returned from captivity “both heartbroken and with serious cardiological issues, including broken heart syndrome.”
About two weeks after her release, her health deteriorated significantly, and she was hospitalized in critical condition. Her daughter revealed at the time that Hannah had returned from Gaza with severe heart problems.
Hannah had shared harrowing details of her abduction with her family. She was taken to Gaza violently, placed on a motorcycle, and fell off during the journey. Along the way, her captors threw stones and even candy at her. When she arrived, she spent several days alone.
“Those were the hardest days,” said Carmit. Later, Hannah joined other kibbutz members, but the conditions remained dire. “She was in terrible distress, and the treatment was shocking. They told them things like, ‘No one is waiting for you, there is no Israel, no kibbutz, no one wants you.
A woman with a ‘whole heart’
Katzir is described by friends and family as being a woman with a “whole heart” who will always “give to others.”
“Mom was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a woman who embodied pure love. Her heart couldn’t withstand the unbearable pain since October 7. Each day our loved ones remain in captivity puts their lives at greater risk. We must act now to secure a comprehensive agreement to bring back all 100 of our brothers and sisters,” Carmit said.
Katzir worked as a nanny for many years in the kibbutz, and her acquaintances described her and her murdered husband, Rami, as “a dynamic duo, an inseparable couple.”
The Hostage Families Headquarters issued a statement mourning Katzir’s passing: “We bow our heads with grief at the loss of former hostage Hannah Katzir, of blessed memory. She was abducted from her home in Nir Oz on October 7 and released after 49 days. Her husband, Rami, of blessed memory, was murdered in their safe room that day, and her son, Elad, of blessed memory, was taken alive, killed in captivity, and brought back for burial in Israel. We share the profound sorrow of the Katzir family.”
