Israeli boy kidnapped by Hamas granted emergency Dutch citizenship

A 17-year-old Israeli boy with Dutch roots is among the hostages currently held by Hamas, according to the Israeli embassy in the Netherlands on Thursday. Ofir Engel was taken hostage on October 7 at the Be'eri kibbutz, located just about 10 kilometers east of the Gaza Strip. He was granted Dutch citzenship through an emergency procedure this week, in the hope that international pressure due to his dual nationality status could lead to him being released more quickly.

Hamas took Ofir and the father of his girlfriend, while Ofir's girlfriend and the rest of her family managed to escape and were brought to safety by the Israeli army hours later, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) said on Thursday in a press release.

The organization did not initially reveal that the boy only just received Dutch citizenship, but was pressed for the detail by the Telegraaf and ANP. A procedure to naturalize him as a Dutch citizen started after the kidnapping, CIDI confirmed. "The Dutch government has been asked to do everything in its power to increase pressure on Hamas to immediately release this boy - and all other hostages," CIDI stated.

The Israeli embassy in the Netherlands is in contact with the family of the Dutch national. They have also called for the release of all hostages, including Engel, NOS reported.

Engel was visiting his girlfriend at the time, according to his aunt Yael Engel Lichi, who spoke with the Jewish Chronicle a week ago. The boy lives with his Israeli parents in Ramat Rachel, which is closer to Jerusalem. Ofir Engel called his father when the alarms went off at about 6 a.m. to say everything was alright as he took shelter with his girlfriend, her mother, her father, and her two younger sisters inside a bomb shelter at the home.

The family broke off communication with the Engels close to 1:30 p.m. Nearly six hours later, Ofir Engel's girlfriend called his family to say that "terrorists with guns" and broken into the home and forced open the door of the shelter. The room was constructed so that emergency workers could gain access in the event of a bombing, and were not equipped with a mechanism to bolt the door from inside. The five people were then brought outside, and their dog was shot dead, Yael Engel Lichi explained.

Engel and his girlfriend's father were taken away in a black vehicle. The girlfriend, her mother and her sisters were ordered to sit on the grass. When they found an opportunity to escape, they took it. “The mother and three daughters, they went to another house, just to hide until the Israeli army came to rescue them and took them with other survivors to a safe place near the Dead Sea,” Yael Engel Lichi said.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the hostage situation but refused to comment on it due to its sensitive nature, according to NOS.

Earlier on Thursday, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he spoke with the Emir of Qatar about the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip. He notably thanked him for his efforts to ensure the release of the hostages.

On Wednesday, outgoing ministers Hanke Bruins Slot (Foreign Affairs) and Kasja Ollongren (Defense) flew back to the Netherlands earlier than expected from their visit to South Africa due to the current situation in Israel and Gaza, de Telegraaf reported. They were accompanying King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima on a state visit.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military force said on Thursday that 203 people are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip following the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, which caused approximately 1,400 deaths. Hamas is a Palestinian political and military organization in the Gaza Strip recognized as a terrorist organization by the European Union. Hamas said on Tuesday 250 people were held hostage in the Gaza Strip.