IDF finds body of Israeli hostage in Gaza

New Delhi, Apr 7: The body of Elad Katzir, who was held captive by the Islamic Jihad, has been repatriated to his family, as confirmed by the Israeli military on Saturday.

Katzir, a victim of the Hamas attacks on southern Israel last October, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, leaving his family in anguish.

His remains were discovered and brought back to Israel, an operation jointly conducted by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), according to international media reports.

Medical authorities identified Katzir’s body.

The IDF and ISA released a joint statement, revealing the news of Katzir’s fate, stating that he had been murdered while in the custody of Islamic Jihad.

His abductors had murdered his father, Avraham, during the same attack on October 7 while Katzir’s mother, Hanna, was in captivity alongside him but was released in November, among a group of 104 hostages, during a temporary ceasefire.

Throughout his captivity, Katzir’s family clung to hope, amplified by a video purportedly showing him speaking from Gaza, released by Islamic Jihad in January.

In the footage, Katzir pleaded for his government to secure his release, expressing his love and longing for his family, though the circumstances surrounding the recording remained uncertain.

As the news of Katzir’s demise reverberated, his sister, Carmit, poured out her grief on social media, lamenting their inability to rescue him and condemning the political inertia that she believed contributed to his fate.

The return of Katzir’s body highlights the ongoing plight of hostages held in Gaza, with Israeli authorities confirming that 133 individuals, including 99 survivors from the October 7 attack, remain in captivity. The hostage families have been protesting in Israel demanding efforts of the government and international organisations to secure their release.