Eliyahu Margalit is the hostage whose body was returned to Israel last night

Eliyahu Margalit is the murdered hostage whose body was returned to Israel last night. This was announced on Saturday morning by the Hostages’ Families Headquarters.

According to the Health Ministry, his body was transferred overnight from Hamas to Israel and brought to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification procedures.

His family stated, “We thank the people of Israel and the Hostages’ Families Headquarters for their support in our long struggle for his return. We promise not to stop and not to rest until the last of the hostages is brought back for burial in Israel.”

Margalit (75) was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. On Dec. 1, 2023, the 56th day of the war, the IDF announced that he had been murdered by Hamas and that his body was being held captive.

On Oct. 7, Margalit – also known as “Churchill” – chose to go feed his mares in the kibbutz stables, from where he was kidnapped, along with his beloved horses. At the scene, many traces of blood were found. His daughter, Nili, 41, was also kidnapped into Gaza and released after 55 days in captivity, as part of the seventh stage of the first hostage release deal. Nili, who works as a pediatric intensive care nurse at Soroka Hospital, helped other hostages who were held with her during captivity.

“Churchill” came to Kibbutz Nir Oz with a Nahal group of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. He was a rancher at heart, and for many years managed the cattle branch and the horse stables of Nir Oz. Eliyahu was married to Daphna, father to Noa, Dani, and Nili, and grandfather to three grandchildren. He was connected to the “Southern Riders” group, whose members shared a love of horseback riding for over 50 years.

As part of the current agreement, 10 out of 28 hostages’ bodies have so far been returned for burial in Israel. Last Wednesday, Hamas transferred the coffins of hostages Inbar Hyman and Master Sergeant Muhammad al-Atrash. Earlier, the bodies of kidnapped victims Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, and Captain Daniel Peretz were returned, followed by those of Uriel Baruch, Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi.

Following the return of the bodies of Inbar Haiman and Master Sergeant Muhammad al-Atrash, Hamas claimed it had fulfilled its part of the agreement to return all hostages – both living and deceased – whom it was able to locate.

However, an Israeli source told Kan News this week that “according to assessments, Hamas can return a double-digit number of deceased hostages.” According to the source, Hamas is making little effort to return the bodies, despite knowing the locations of their burial sites in Gaza.

Israel expressed anger over Hamas’ violation of the agreement and has so far prevented the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the Gaza-based terror organization that if it failed to uphold its commitments, he would allow Israel to resume military operations in the Strip.

Additionally, Kan News reported this week that, according to sources familiar with the matter, in recent days Hamas received bodies of murdered hostages from other terrorist groups operating in Gaza.