Body of murdered Israeli hostage Ilan Weiss recovered from Gaza

The body of hostage Ilan Weiss, who was murdered on the morning of Oct. 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri and abducted into Gaza, has been recovered from captivity.

His body was brought back to Israel in an operation by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and special forces in Gaza. Yesterday, the identification process was completed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir.

Ilan Weiss, 56, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023. He was considered missing for about three months until the IDF later confirmed that he had been killed and that his body had been taken to Gaza.

When the terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz, Weiss went out to fight. He was asked to bring the key to the armory after Arik, the security coordinator, fell at the gate of the kibbutz in the first minutes of the attack. On his way there, Weiss was shot and killed.

At the same time, his wife Shiri and their 17-year-old daughter Noga were in the safety shelter in their home. Terrorists who broke into the house abducted Shiri in front of Noga, who was hiding under the bed and witnessed the events. Later, they set the house on fire. Following her older sister Meital’s advice, Noga managed to escape through the safety-shelter window. She hid behind a bush but was eventually discovered and abducted as well.

Shiri and Noga were released about two months later as part of the first hostage deal at the end of November 2023.

Weiss was the infrastructure manager for the kibbutz and often went on cycling trips over the weekends. He was also the deputy head of the local emergency response team and provided logistical support to the kibbutz’s standby squad.

When the Hamas terrorists infiltrated, Weiss went to replace the fallen security coordinator in opening the armory to distribute weapons to the standby squad members – since that time, his trail had been lost.

On Jan. 1, 2024, after being listed as missing since the massacre, his family received notification that he had been murdered on “Black Shabbat” (Oct. 7 terror attack) and that Hamas was holding his body.

“The Hostages’ Families Forum embraces the Weiss family during this difficult time,” read a statement issued by the forum for the return of the hostages. It also stated that the family asks for their privacy to be respected during this painful period. “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the IDF and the security forces who acted and continue to act with dedication and courage. The return of all the hostages is the only path to healing and national recovery,” the statement concluded.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an official statement noting, “In an IDF and ISA operation in the Gaza Strip, the body of Ilan Weiss, of blessed memory, which had been held by the murderous Hamas terrorist organization, has been brought back to Israel. Also returned in the operation were the remains of another deceased hostage whose name has yet to be released for publication. The remains are now being identified at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.”

He added, “Ilan Weiss, a hero, was a member of the emergency squad at Kibbutz Be'eri. He was murdered on 7 October 2023 as he went out to defend the kibbutz; his body was taken hostage. His wife Shiri and their daughter Noga were taken hostage and released from captivity in November 2023. Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their deep sorrow. I thank our commanders and fighters for their successful action, determination and bravery. The campaign to return the hostages is ongoing. We will neither rest nor be silent until we bring all of our hostages back home, the living and the deceased.”

Kibbutz Be’eri expressed deep sorrow for the Weiss family. In a statement, they sought to embrace and strengthen his wife Shiri and their three daughters, Meital, Maayan, and Noga.

“Ilan was a principled and modest man, deeply involved in kibbutz life and greatly respected for his work. He was a devoted family man, caring and nurturing,” kibbutz members said.

The statement also included an appeal to the political and military leadership “not to endanger soldiers in the rescue of hostages, and to demand the return of Dror Or, Yossi Sharabi, Sahar Baruch, and Meni Godard, along with all the hostages, as part of an agreement.”

Written by KAN 11 correspondents Itay Blumenthal, Yael Ciechanover‎, Carmela Menashe, Suleiman Maswadeh and Itsik Zuarets.