Who is Guy Illouz? Hamas hostage is a musician who worked for Shalom Hanoch and HaYehudim

Guy Illouz was a “young and promising musician” who, along with his friends, built a music studio in a shelter, according to a Facebook post

Published on: Oct 26, 2023, 07:18:41 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Among those abducted by Hamas terrorists from Israel isGuy Illouz, a promising musician who was snatched from the Nova Music Festival. The Facebook page ‘Bring Them Home Now,’ dedicated to keeping the stories of the hostages alive, has narrated how Guy’s “music has come to silence” after his abduction.

An aerial view shows the burnt cars of festival-goers at the site of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas gunmen from Gaza, near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 12, 2023 (REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg)

Guy reportedly tried to escape the festival during the attack. His friend had been shot.

Who is Guy Illouz?

Guy was a “young and promising musician” who, along with his friends, built a music studio in a shelter, according to the Facebook post. “Whenever war broke out, they would evacuate the shelter and then rebuild the studio. Music is the core of Guy's being – he writes songs, plays the guitar, and works as a sound engineer for performances by Shalom Hanoch and 'HaYehudim’,” the page says.

Two hostages released by Hamas

Meanwhile,Hamas has said on its Telegram channel that it has released two of his hostages after negotiations with Qatar and Egypt. The hostages have been identified as Israeli citizens Nurit Yitzhak and Yochved Lifshitz. Sources told CNBC that they were released to the Red Cross. Hamas said it released the hostages for “compelling humanitarian” reasons.

Abu Ubaiba, a military spokesman from Al-Qassam Brigades that operates in the West Bank, said that Hamas decided to release the women even though Israel has refused to stop its airstrikes. “We have decided to release them for compelling humanitarian and satisfactory reasons despite the occupation committing more than 8 violations of the procedures that were agreed upon with the mediator brothers that the occupation would adhere to during this day to complete the handover process,” the spokesman said on Telegram.

Last week, Hamas released American mother-and-daughter Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan. Yitzhak and Lifshitz are the latest hostages to be released by the terrorist group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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