He was not a hostage of Hamas. It was proven that a security guard was killed in the October attack
The Israeli army announced that Elyakim Lipman (23 years old), who was believed to have been held hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, was killed and not detained.
The army said on Friday that military representatives, along with members of the Forensic Medicine Institute and the Ministry of Health, informed Liebman's family that his body had been found in Israel.
The young man, who worked as a security guard at the Supernova music festival, was initially believed to have been taken hostage, as his body was not found.
According to Israeli media reports, Lipman's remains were "accidentally" buried with other remains.
The army said that the announcement of Lipman's death was based on "the findings that were determined after a complex investigation, conducted by the Israeli army, police, forensic medicine institute and the Ministry of Health."
While hundreds were attending a music festival in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, late at night on October 6, they were surprised the next morning by Hamas rockets and fire in the movement’s surprise attack.
With the confirmation of Liebman's death, the number of hostages taken on October 7 decreased from the previous number of 253, to 252.
Lipman was the second death to be announced within days, as Kibbutz Be'eri said on Thursday that Dror Or, a resident, had been confirmed killed during the Hamas-led attack on October 7.
This comes at a time when Israel is awaiting Hamas' official response to the latest offer of a hostage deal and truce, which an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the country's leadership believes the movement will reject.
Multiple reports indicated that under the deal, at least 33 Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be released in return in the first phase, which may be followed by later phases that would establish sustainable calm and the possibility of a complete withdrawal of Israeli army forces from the Gaza Strip.