According to an official source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the case is being treated "for all purposes" as that of an Israeli citizen, which means that the Portuguese executive does not have "access to any information".

"The Portuguese Government deeply regrets the death" of this citizen and "reiterates the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, especially those of Portuguese nationality", added the same source. When asked if there had been any contact between the Portuguese Government and the Israeli executive about this case, he said there was "nothing".

The Israeli hostage of Portuguese nationality Dror Or, detained in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attacks on 7 October, has been declared dead, Israeli authorities and family members announced today.

"It has now been confirmed that Dror Or, abducted by Hamas on 7 October, was murdered and his body is being held in Gaza", declared the Israeli Government on its official social network X account (formerly Twitter), adding that Alma, Noam and his brother Yahli are now orphans.

Dror Or, 49, was killed and his body has been held in the Gaza Strip since 7 October, the authorities of the Be'eri kibbutz, where he lived and whose inhabitants were among the most affected by the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against Israeli territory, said in a statement.

Dror Or's wife was killed in the attack, while two of the three children, aged 17 and 13, were abducted and then released as part of a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas at the end of November.

The announcement of Dror Or's death comes at a time when the mediating countries - Qatar, the United States and Egypt - are awaiting Hamas' response to a new truce proposal combined with the release of the hostages.

The news of the death of the Portuguese citizen was reported by The Guardian newspaper.

At the end of November, a one-week truce allowed the release of 105 hostages, including 80 Israelis and dual citizens, exchanged for 240 Palestinians held by Israel.

The war broke out on 7 October, when Hamas commandos carried out an attack that killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to a report by the France-Presse (AFP) news agency based on official Israeli data.

More than 250 people were abducted and 129 remain detained in Gaza, of whom 35 have already died.

In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas and launched a vast offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has already caused more than 34,500 deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian movement's Ministry of Health.

Read Also: Israel confirms death of Hamas hostage with Portuguese nationality (Portuguese version)