The surviving community members of Nir Oz was informed on Thursday that one of their neighbors, Aviv Atzili, was killed on October 7th and is not being held hostage in Gaza, as had been previously thought.

It appears that Israeli officials kept his passing quiet until they could inform his wife, Liat. However, that wasn’t possible for weeks because she was being held captive by Hamas. She was released on Wednesday and presumably informed of the tragic news.

Kibbutz Nir Oz released a statement expressing their profound grief: “It is with great sorrow that Kibbutz Nir Oz announces the falling of Aviv Atzili on October 7th. He was 49, a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Aviv left behind his wife, Liat, and children: Ofri, Neta, and Aya.”

Remembered fondly by his community, Aviv Atzili was a central figure in Nir Oz. He managed the agricultural tool workshop in the Kibbutz and was known for his talents as a painter and motorcyclist.

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