We are deeply dismayed by the death of one of the rangers of the European Ranger Federation. Ohad Yahalomi, ranger of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October 2023, was murdered after being kidnapped from his home. This was revealed this morning during the handover of four deceased hostages to Israel.
All our sympathies go out to Ohad Yahalomi’s family, whose son Eitan was also initially held in captivity and released after 52 days, while his wife with their two daughters managed to escape from being kidnapped shortly before entering Gaza strip.
We wish the four of them all the strength and support they need to come to terms with what they have experienced and today’s cruel news. Our sympathy also goes out to Ayala Yahalomi Luzon, Ohad Yahalomi’s sister, who, like her brother, works for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. We also wish Ohad Yahalomi’s close friends and colleagues our sincere solidarity and confidence in the face of this difficult loss.
At this point we would like to share an extract from the letter from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Ohad Yahalomi lived, and other sources in memory of his person:
***
Ohad, who was 50 at the time of his death, was a devoted and loving family man. He was a passionate sportsman and an avid traveler, intimately familiar with every trail and path in the desert he so dearly loved.
For years, he worked at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, dedicating his life to the preservation of nature. Out of his deep love for the desert, he co-authored a scorpion field guide with partners and was involved in educational initiatives within the Bedouin community.
Ohad is a man of the desert. He knows every trail of the Negev, Judean Desert, and Jordan River. Many years ago, he was a guide at the “Sde Boker” Field School and loved hiking with children in the fields and nature. Ohad was a family man – he loves spending time with his children and extended family. Every Friday, he would make kubbeh, and every Tuesday, stuffed grape leaves. Ohad was charismatic, surrounded by dozens of close friends from different circles.
His wife says they won’t be able to heal until Ohad returns, along with all the other hostages. Ohad’s children demand that their father come home.
Now he is back home.
***
May he rest in peace.