Who was Inbar Haiman? All you need to know as alleged Gaza hostage confirmed dead at 27

A 27-year-old art student Inbar Haiman, who was allegedly being held captive in Gaza, reportedly died while in captivity. IDF, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum confirmed the same on the night of Saturday, December 16, 2023. The New York Post reported that Inbar Haiman's cause of death wasn't confirmed by the forum.

Trigger warning: This article deals with the Israel-Hamas conflict and contains mentions of an alleged kidnapping. Discretion is advised.

Haiman was reportedly kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, while attending the Hamas music event, Supernova. When the Hamas attacked, she and two of her male friends attempted to run away, before she was allegedly kidnapped by men on motorcycles. Her friends reportedly managed to get away.

The news of Inbar Haiman's death was announced by sources like Haaretz and according to the forum, she was a "gifted girl" who was full of joy for life.

''A gifted girl, full of love with endless giving. Creative girl and full of joy of life," the forum went on to describe her.

Inbar's family stated that she was a passionate graffiti artist and art aficionado and that she reportedly studied filmmaking in high school. Her passion for painting also inspired her to pursue visual communication in Haifa nearly two years ago, where she met Noam Alon, her partner.

Before the October 7 Massacres, Inbar and Noam were scheduled to begin their 4th year of education together. The forum also mentioned how much of a Maccabi Haifa fan she was, adding that she was supposed to go to a soccer match after the festival.

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Inbar Haiman’s death has been confirmed by the authorities

Inbar Haiman was allegedly tortured and killed (Image via Facebook/המטה להחזרת החטופים והנעדרים/Haiman family)

Inbar Haiman's family was informed on Saturday that she was killed while being held captive by Hamas. As per the Jerusalem Post, before being taken to Gaza, she had managed to escape Hamas terrorists for two hours.

As Hamas agents attacked Israeli people, Haiman was volunteering at the music festival. While she was at the festival, she texted her partner Noam Alon about the attack by the Hamas, according to The Times of Israel. The latter told Inbar to stay away from the highways and roads as that was where armed terrorists were allegedly killing those who were trying to escape.

The publication added that gunshots echoed in the background as terrified attendees sprinted across a field toward their cars because Hamas had attacked. The 27-year-old art student also tried to flee and while her friends were able to escape, she was caught by a Hamas agent.

Footage that went viral after the attack showed two knife-wielding Hamas militants dragging Inbar. Her boyfriend, Noam Alon, begged the authorities for her safe return when the news of her alleged kidnapping became public. A video that was later shared by the Hamas on Telegram, seemingly showed Haiman battered and bloodied while surrounded by four men. This video caused havoc in Haiman's family.

In an interview with The Messenger in October, Alon spoke about Inbar Haiman's alleged kidnapping, detailing what had reportedly happened to her. According to the Hindustan Times, Noam said that she was "grabbed" by two terrorists on motorbikes and taken to Gaza.

"All I'm asking is for them to be as kind as possible and keep her alive - not expecting too much - just for them to be human, and for them to give the hostages food and water and medical [attention]," Noam said.

As per the NY Post, in late October, Noam Alon also spoke with The Guardian about the disturbing video and said that it came "as a kind of relief."

“The other option – that she was dead – was far worse. Knowing that she’s now a hostage in Gaza isn’t easy – it’s something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy – but it’s better than the alternative," he said.

However, according to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, Inbar Haiman's family had reportedly received proof from the Israel Defence Forces that Inbar was killed while in Hamas captivity.

As mentioned earlier, the cause of Inbar's death wasn't revealed at the time of writing this article. The Times of Israel also stated that her body is still thought to be in the Gaza Strip.

It is worth noting that at least 260 people were murdered and numerous others, including Inbar, were kidnapped during the music festival. According to CNN, the office of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed that it currently believes there are 129 captives, 21 of whom have already passed away.