A forensic autopsy has determined that 68-year-old Israeli hostage Itzhak (Itzik) Elgarat was tortured to death while held by Hamas in Gaza. Elgarat was among the civilians seized during the 7 October 2023 cross-border assault that triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Details released on 14 August show Elgarat suffered extensive abuse during interrogation: examiners found multiple broken ribs caused by chest compression as well as fractures to his toes and nose. His body was returned to Israel in February after more than a year in captivity, but the cause of death had remained unclear until the autopsy was completed. The disclosure has fuelled public anger in Israel and renewed calls for progress on hostage negotiations. Earlier this week, Mossad Director David Barnea told Qatari officials in Doha that a proposed partial hostage deal had been dropped, underscoring a stalemate that leaves roughly 50 of the 251 people abducted on 7 October still in Gaza.