View source for Matan Zangauker (hostage)

{{Short description|Israeli former hostage (born 1999)}}
{{pp|small=yes}} 
{{infobox person
| image              = Operation Shavim Legvulam, October 2025. (LII) (cropped) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Zangauker in October 2025
| birth_date         = December 18, 1999
| birth_place = [[Ofakim]], Israel
| known_for          = Being held hostage in the [[Gaza Strip]] from 2023 to 2025
}}

'''Matan Zangauker''' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: מתן צנגאוקר; born December 18, 1999) is an [[Israelis|Israeli]] civilian who was abducted from [[Nir Oz]] during the [[7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel]] in 2023. He was held hostage in the [[Gaza Strip]] for 738 days and was released on 13 October 2025 as part of an Israel–[[Hamas]] ceasefire agreement.<ref name="BBCRelease">{{cite news |date=13 October 2025 |title='You're my life, my hero': Hostages reunite with families after two years |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv8p8m4qg6o |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="ReleaseToI">{{cite news |date=17 October 2025 |title=Freed hostage Matan Zangauker discharged from hospital, days after release from captivity |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/freed-hostage-matan-zangauker-discharged-from-hospital-days-after-release-from-captivity/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Matan Zangauker was born on 18 December 1999. Zangauker met his partner, [[Ilana Gritzewsky]], while working at a [[medical cannabis]] farm.<ref name="EarlyLife1">{{cite news |date=11 November 2025 |title=Freed hostage Matan Zangauker recounts captivity, says mother 'saved' him |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/i-thought-i-would-die-here-freed-hostage-matan-zangkauer-recounts-beatings-mind-games/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite news |title=20 living hostages were just released by Hamas under the ceasefire deal. Here's who they are |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hostages-released-by-hamas-who-they-are/ |work=[[CBS News]] |date=13 October 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>  Zangauker and Gritzewsky lived together for about a year and a half in the kibbutz of Nir Oz, until they were abducted from there on the morning of October 7.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=רטר |first=לינוי |date=2025-12-29 |title=תמונת ניצחון: שורדי השבי מתן צנגאוקר ואילנה גריצווסקי התארסו |url=https://reganews.co.il/israel/%D7%AA%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%97%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%9F-%D7%A6%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A8-%D7%95%D7%90/ |access-date=2026-09-23 |website=רגע NEWS |language=he-IL}}</ref>

== Abduction ==
On 7 October 2023, during the [[Nir Oz attack]], Zangauker and Gritzewsky were at their home in Nir Oz when the kibbutz was attacked. They escaped from the safe room through a window and ran in different directions before being captured separately and taken to the Gaza Strip.<ref name="BBCRelease" /><ref name="EarlyLife1" /><ref name=":2">{{cite news |title=Families fear for hostages after Israel's strike on Hamas in Doha |url=https://apnews.com/article/9875e2b5b8679b16106a9106bd37003c |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=10 September 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

Gritzewsky was released on 30 November 2023 after 55 days in captivity, while Zangauker remained in Gaza.<ref name="EarlyLife1" /><ref name=":2" /> After her release, Gritzewsky joined Zangauker's mother [[Einav Zangauker]] in the public campaign for his release.<ref name=":1" />

== Captivity ==
Zangauker was held in captivity for over two years.<ref name="ReleaseToI" />

In December 2024, Hamas released a video purportedly showing Zangauker in captivity. In the video, he appealed to Israeli leaders to secure a deal for the release of the hostages. ''[[Reuters]]'' reported that the [[Hostages and Missing Families Forum|Hostage Families Forum]] regarded the video as proof that he was still alive.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamas releases video claiming to show living hostage |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-releases-hostage-video-claiming-show-living-hostage-2024-12-07/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=7 December 2024 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref> ''[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]'' also reported on the video and identified Zangauker as one of the hostages abducted from Nir Oz with Gritzewsky.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamas releases video of hostage |url=https://www-cdn.abcnews.com/International/live-updates/israel-gaza-lebanon-live-updates-idf-confirms-lebanon?entryId=116566425&id=116364007 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=7 December 2024 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

=== Conditions and treatment ===

In May 2025, reports based on information received by Zangauker's family described a deterioration in his physical condition. He was reported to have lost substantial weight, suffered from degenerative muscle disease, and experienced prolonged intestinal blockages and severe abdominal pain. According to his family, Zangauker was starved, was given stale bread and rice, and drank contaminated or salty water several times. They also said that he was physically and psychologically abused while in captivity, that he was beaten and kicked, was subjected to interrogations and psychological pressure, his hands and legs were tied, and he was also held in a cage for some time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kochavi |first=Hagar |date=2025-05-20 |title=Barely standing, mute and starving: New testimonies reveal condition of hostage Matan Zangauker |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjli2zc11xx |access-date=2026-09-23 |work=Ynetglobal |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news |date=20 May 2025 |title=עובר מחופש ממקום למקום וסובל מכאבי תופת: תנאי השבי של מתן צנגאוקר נחשפים |url=https://www.israelhayom.co.il//news/local/article/18006371 |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Israel Hayom]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-09-23 |title=Tortured, starving, alone: Matan Zangauker's dire condition in Hamas captivity |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408685 |access-date=2026-09-23 |website=Israel National News |language=en}}</ref>

Zangauker was reportedly moved between tunnels, mosques and makeshift shelters, sometimes while he was hidden in a crowd of Gazans. One time, he and fellow hostage [[Edan Alexander]] were moved through a crowded market while blindfolded, with their captors disguised as women. Zangauker's family said that he survived several tunnel collapses caused by bombardments and that he had spent time in an underground location where other hostages were reportedly killed.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 May 2025 |title="מתקשה לעמוד, מסרב לאכול ולדבר": עדויות חדשות מעינויי השבי של מתן צנגאוקר |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/s1p75zc11xx |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Ynet]]}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

In May 2025, Zangauker's mother [[Einav Zangauker|Einav]] said that Israeli soldiers had found a handwritten note bearing her son's name in a Gaza tunnel. According to reports, the note contained Matan's name in Hebrew, English and Arabic, described his condition as “good” and his occupation as “farmer.” Einav also said that she recognized Matan's handwriting.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 2025 |title=Mother of hostage Matan Zangauker says soldiers found note from son in Gaza tunnel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/mother-of-hostage-matan-zangauker-says-soldiers-found-note-from-son-in-gaza-tunnel/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 2025 |title=הפתק בכתב ידו של מתן צנגאוקר, שאותר במנהרה שבה נהרגו חטופים: "ניצל בנס" |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rkanwxkzge |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Ynet]]}}</ref> In June, Einav said that Matan survived further bombardments while being held underground and had nearly suffocated from toxic gases after one of the tunnels collapsed.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 2025 |title=עינב צנגאוקר חשפה: "מתן כמעט נחנק למוות מגזים רעילים במנהרה שקרסה" |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bjdyfyomxg |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Ynet]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 2025 |title=בעקבות החשיפה של עינב צנגאוקר: מה שידוע על ניוון השרירים של החטוף מתן שעלול להיות בסכנת חיים |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/news/military/article-1190787 |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Maariv]]}}</ref>

=== Accounts after his release ===

In a November 2025 television interview, Zangauker gave a detailed account of his captivity. He said he had been moved between tunnels, houses, schools, hospitals, mosques and tent compounds, sometimes with other hostages and sometimes alone. He described being beaten and kicked while being moved through tunnels and said that his captors subjected him to interrogations and psychological pressure. At one point, he said, he was kept in a small cage with another hostage, with two mattresses and a single small blanket; guards would shout at or hit them when they stood up.<ref name=":4">{{cite news |date=10 November 2025 |title="נשארתי לבד. הבנתי שלא אצא מפה, אני הולך למות פה": העדות הבלתי נתפסת של מתן צנגאוקר |url=https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/2025_q4/Article-50df563078e6a91027.htm |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[Hevrat HaHadashot|N12]]}}</ref>

Zangauker said that after being taken to the southern Gaza Strip, he was sometimes kept among displaced Palestinians while his captors attempted to conceal his identity. He recalled walking through streets and markets and spending about a week in a mosque before being moved to another tunnel in Rafah. He described the conditions there as cramped and poorly ventilated and said that, when the water supply diminished, the hostages drank dirty water.<ref name=":4" />

He also described violence by his captors. Zangauker recalled one guard beating another hostage with a whip made from electrical cables. After he intervened, he said, the guard beat him as well. He said that his captors also repeatedly filmed him, sometimes for entire days, making him repeat statements and instructing him on what to say.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Interview2">{{cite news |date=11 November 2025 |title='I thought I would die here': Freed hostage Matan Zangauker recounts beatings, mind games |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/i-thought-i-would-die-here-freed-hostage-matan-zangkauer-recounts-beatings-mind-games/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]|last=Spiro|first=Amy}}</ref>

Zangauker said that during his captivity he eventually learned about his mother's campaign for the release of the hostages. He saw footage of her speaking publicly and realized from television coverage that Gritzewsky had been released. He said that his mother's efforts gave him encouragement while he was being held in Gaza.<ref name="Interview2" />

Zangauker said after his release that he had initially learned that Gritzewsky had also been abducted, but only discovered that she had been released when he was allowed to watch television on 30 November 2023.<ref name="Interview2" />

== Efforts to release ==
Following Zangauker's abduction, his mother [[Einav Zangauker|Einav]] became a prominent advocate for his release. The international press reported extensively on her campaign. In July 2024, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described her participation in protests calling for a hostage-release agreement and reported that she had become a prominent critic of the Israeli government's handling of the hostage crisis.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rubin |first=Shira |title=This Israeli hostage mother supported Netanyahu. Now she wants him gone |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/02/israel-hostages-protests-gaza-hamas-netanyahu/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2 July 2024 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>[[File:Einav Zangauker.jpg|thumb|Einav Zangauker, Matan's mother, campaigning for the release of hostages|left]]In May 2024, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that Einav Zangauker was among relatives of hostages demonstrating in Tel Aviv and calling on the government to accept a proposed hostage-release agreement. The report identified Zangauker as her son and one of the hostages still held in Gaza.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands rally across Israel calling for Netanyahu to accept ceasefire deal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/07/israel-protests-benjamin-netanyahu-ceasefire-proposal-hamas-rafah-attack-gaza |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=7 May 2024 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

In December 2024, she addressed a Knesset committee and demanded that the government take action to secure Zangauker's return. The same month, Hamas published a video showing Zangauker in captivity, in which he referred to his mother's efforts to secure the release of the hostages.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=Hostage's mother to minister: 'I will take law into my hands' if son doesn't return alive |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostages-mother-to-minister-i-will-take-law-into-my-hands-if-son-doesnt-return/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref>

In February 2025, the families of Zangauker and fellow hostage [[Nimrod Cohen]] petitioned the [[Supreme Court of Israel]] to require the government to publish the full text of the ceasefire and hostage-release agreement and implement all of its phases. The families said they were concerned that the second phase of the agreement, which was expected to include the release of Zangauker and Cohen, could be delayed or not implemented.<ref>{{cite news |date=9 February 2025 |title=Families of captives Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen sue for full text of hostage deal |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/families-of-captives-matan-zangauker-nimrod-cohen-sue-for-full-text-of-hostage-deal/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref> In the same period, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that Zangauker's mother was campaigning for her son's release and that his return was expected to depend on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel hostage families urge Trump to follow up on Gaza ceasefire deal |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/20/israel-hostages-gaza-hamas/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=20 January 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

In February 2025, Einav and Gritzewsky traveled to Washington, D.C., where they participated in a rally outside the [[White House]] calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to support implementation of the hostage-release agreement. Gritzewsky, who had been released from captivity in November 2023, said she knew what Zangauker was experiencing in captivity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Outside White House, hostage's relatives urge Trump to ensure Netanyahu sees deal through |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-4-2025/ |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=4 February 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>
[[File:The Meditech building in Holon, April 2024 08.jpg|alt=Hostage poster of Zangauker in Holon, April 2024|thumb|300x300px|Hostage poster of Zangauker in Holon, April 2024]]
In May 2025, Einav said that information provided by released hostage [[Edan Alexander]] indicated that Zangauker was still alive. She continued to call for a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, saying that she feared continued military pressure could endanger his life.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 May 2025 |title=Matan Zangauker's mother says Edan Alexander provided sign of life from son |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/matan-zangaukers-mother-says-edan-alexander-provided-sign-of-life-from-son/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref>

In August 2025, Zangauker's family released previously unseen footage of him from his captivity. The footage was reportedly recorded during the early months of the war and showed Zangauker calling on his family and friends to make their voices heard. ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that the release came as hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in support of a hostage-release agreement and an end to the war.<ref name="AugustVideo">{{cite news |date=17 August 2025 |title='Go out and make noise': Family releases video of hostage Matan Zangauker in Gaza |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/go-out-and-make-noise-family-releases-video-of-hostage-matan-zangauker-in-gaza/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hundreds of thousands of protesters gather in Tel Aviv to demand end to Gaza war |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/17/tens-of-thousands-of-protesters-gather-in-tel-aviv-to-demand-end-to-gaza-war |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=17 August 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

== Release ==
After not being included in the first two hostage-release deals, Zangauker was released on 13 October 2025 along with the other 19 living Israeli hostages who remained in the Gaza Strip. He had been held for 738 days.<ref name="BBCRelease" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Who are the final 20 living hostages to have been freed from Gaza? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/11/hostages-gaza-israel-profiles |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=11 October 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref><ref name=":5" />
[[File:Operation Shavim Legvulam, October 2025. (LXXXIV).jpg|alt=Matan meeting his mother, Einav, for the first time upon being released from captivity, October 2025|thumb|Zangauker meeting his mother, Einav, for the first time upon his release from captivity, October 2025|left|350x350px]]Zangauker described the moments before his release as marked by complete disbelief. Because he was disappointed on several occasions, for example, in January 2025, he lost hope and believed he would die in Gaza. At first, he thought that the announcement of his release is a lie and yet another psychological tactic used by [[Hamas]].<ref name="Interview2" />

Following his release, Zangauker was reunited with his mother Einav and other members of his family at a military facility near the Gaza border before being taken to a medical centre in [[Tel Aviv]] for treatment. In a statement, his family said that after two years in captivity they were beginning a new chapter focused on healing and rehabilitation.<ref name="BBCRelease" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Released Israeli hostages reunite with families – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2025/oct/13/released-israeli-hostages-reunite-with-families-in-pictures |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=13 October 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref> ''[[CNN]]'' also broadcast footage of the reunion, reporting that Zangauker was embraced by his mother after more than two years apart.<ref>{{cite web |title=CNN coverage of the release of Israeli hostages |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/sitroom/date/2025-10-13/segment/01 |work=[[CNN]] |date=13 October 2025 |access-date=23 September 2026}}</ref>

== Post-release activities ==
In November 2025, Zangauker gave his first extended interview after his release. He described his experiences in captivity and said that learning about his mother's campaign for the release of the hostages had given him encouragement while he was being held in Gaza.<ref name=":4" />

Zangauker and Gritzewsky became engaged in December 2025.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 December 2025 |title=Former hostages Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzewsky become engaged |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-hostages-matan-zangauker-and-ilana-gritzewsky-become-engaged/ |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=מתן צנגאוקר ואילנה גריצווסקי התארסו - |url=https://13tv.co.il/allshows/4216982/ |access-date=2026-09-23 |website=13tv.co.il |language=he}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

In February 2026, Zangauker, Gritzewsky and fellow released hostages [[Segev Kalfon]] appeared at the CTeen International Summit in [[New York City]]. They led about 4,500 Jewish teenagers in reciting the [[Shema]] prayer in [[Times Square]].<ref>{{cite news |date=24 February 2026 |title=Freed Israeli hostages recite Shema prayer on New York City stage in front of thousands |url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-887696 |access-date=23 September 2026 |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Gaza war hostages]]
* [[Nir Oz]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{YouTube|IMpeLJHYyNo|channel=Kan 11|title=Life sign from Matan Zangauker shortly before the expansion of fighting in Gaza}}
* {{YouTube|QewIUhTa2W8|channel=Kan 11|title="Fears Matan will take his own life": Interview with Einav Zangauker}}
* {{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Shira |date=2 July 2024 |title=This Israeli hostage mother supported Netanyahu. Now she wants him gone. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/02/israel-hostages-protests-gaza-hamas-netanyahu/ |access-date=4 December 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}
* {{cite web |last1=Artzi Sror |first1=Chen |date=8 December 2024 |title=Not a businesswoman, not a politician, not a nice person: The power of a hostage's mother |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/by0xyxm4ke |access-date=11 December 2024 |publisher=[[Ynet]]}}

{{Gaza war}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zangauker, Matan}}
[[Category:Hostages and abductees in the October 7 attacks]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 births]]
[[Category:Israeli people taken hostage]]
[[Category:2020s missing person cases]]
[[Category:Mass kidnappings in the 2020s]]
[[Category:October 2023 in Israel]]
[[Category:People from Ofakim]]
[[Category:Formerly missing Israeli people]]
[[Category:21st-century Israeli Jews]]
[[Category:Survivors of terrorist attacks]]