Brit named as one of four hostages killed in Hamas captivity

Nadav Popplewell (right) was killed along with four other hostages – Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper (Picture: Reuters/AFP/Getty)

Israel has confirmed the death of British citizen Nadav Popplewell along with four others kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.

Described as a ‘generous and kind’ reader of science fiction, Nadav’s body remains with the militant group in Gaza, an IDF spokesperson said today.

Hamas previously claimed the 51-year-old British-Israeli died along with Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85, in Israeli airstrikes in April.

The announcement came from Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, shortly after a video showing Nadav alive was released to his family last month.

In the undated footage, Mr Popplewell could be seen with a black eye as he confirmed his name on video.

An IDF spokesperson today said new intelligence gathered in recent weeks suggested the four hostage had died together during a military operation in southern Gaza.

Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said: ‘We estimate that the four were killed together, in the Khan Younis area, several months ago, while being held by Hamas terrorists and while IDF forces were operating in Khan Younis.

The release of hostages held in Gaza has been a key goal of Israel’s operations there, and forms a central part in ceasefire negotiations (Picture: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

‘I know that difficult questions will arise regarding the circumstances of the deaths.

‘We are examining the circumstances of death in-depth, looking into all possibilities, and we will present the findings as soon as possible, firstly to the families and then to the public.’

The UK’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron posted on X: ‘Greatly saddened to hear about the death of Nadav Popplewell who had been held in captivity by Hamas since 7 October.

‘My thoughts are with his loved ones at this terrible time for them. With a new deal on the table, we reiterate our demand for Hamas to send all hostages home.’

Nadav Popplewell’s sister, Ayelet Svatitzky, campaigned for her brother’s release, saying ‘there is no more time’ (Picture: PA)

After the initial news of Mr Popplewell’s death, Lord Cameron told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: ‘I watched that video and you just think, what callous people they are to do that, to play with the family’s emotions in that way.

‘I met Nadav’s family, his sister, and I know the heartbreak they’ve been going through for over 200 days, and when you see what Hamas are prepared to do, you just realise the terrible, dreadful, inhuman people, frankly, that we are dealing with.’

Mr Popplewell had been kidnapped with his mother from her home in Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

They were among the 252 hostages Hamas took to Gaza that day. Some 120 are believed to remain in Gaza.

Many surviving Palestinians were left homeless amid the destruction caused by Israel’s military operations in Khan Younis (Picture: Yasser Qudaih/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Some have been mistakenly shot by Israeli forces, killed in air strikes or executed by Hamas, reports suggest.

Popplewell’s brother was one of the roughly 1,200 people the group killed in the massacre on October 7.

Hamas has been under pressure to accept a three-stage Israel deal that would see a return of remaining hostages, and an end to the ongoing conflict that’s left more than 35,000 Palestinians dead in Gaza.

The Palestinian group reacted positively, saying it is ready ‘to deal positively and in a constructive manner’.

It said any proposal must be based on a permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, reconstruction of the region, a return of people displaced in the conflict, and prisoner swaps.

There is some hesitation to accepting the deal on the table since Israeli forces increased air strikes and invaded Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, just hours after Hamas accepted a ceasefire.

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