The Israeli Foreign Ministry has confirmed this Tuesday that the Spanish Iván Illarramendi, of whom there has been no news since last October 7 when the Hamas attack took place in Israel, would be kidnapped in the hands of this terrorist group, which He has about 200 hostages in his possession.

In a message on X, old Twitter, The Israeli Ministry has expressly included the Spanish flag among those of the 42 countries whose nationals are in the hands of Hamas. Until now, the Spanish Government had not wanted to go into details about the circumstances in which Illarramendi, 46 years old and from Zarautz, would find himself.

In a press conference at the Extraordinary European Council, Pedro Sánchez confirmed the information from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Likewise, he has asked for his release as soon as possible. while he has announced another 4 million euros of humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip.

Likewise, it also includes the “demand for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.”including our compatriot Iván Illarramendi“, he stressed, confirming for the first time that the Spanish flag is in the hands of Hamas shortly after the Israeli Foreign Ministry had announced it by including the Spanish flag among the 42 countries that have kidnapped nationals.

The acting Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares had announced on October 9 that there were two Spaniards “affected” by the attack by land, sea and air perpetrated by Hamas.. Later, on October 11, the Government confirmed that the other Spaniard, the young Maya Villalobo, 19 years old and who was doing military service in Israel, had died.

Until now, the only thing known about Illarramendi is that he was with his wife, a Chilean national, in Kibbutz Kissufim, very close to the border with the Gaza Strip, and that it had been assaulted by Hamas militiamen.

In its message on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry stressed that “there are currently foreign citizens from more than 40 countries held hostage by Hamas.” “We ask you as parents, as children, as human beings to share their stories and help us bring them back home,” he encourages, in line with what a Ministry spokesperson also states in the video that accompanies the text.