Bodies of killed hostages Aryeh Zalmanovitz & Tamir Adar return to Israel

The bodies of hostages Aryeh Zalmanovitz and Staff Sergeant (res.) Tamir Adar were returned to Israel overnight (Wednesday), 746 days after they were taken.

Their coffins were handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza, from where they were brought back to Israel and identified at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Thirteen other fallen hostages remain in Gaza.

Zalmanovitz, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was 85 years old at the time of his death. He is survived by two sons and five grandchildren.

He was abducted alive from his home on Oct. 7, and, according to assessments, was murdered in captivity about a month later. The IDF spokesperson said that final conclusions would be reached after completing the examination of the cause of death at the forensic institute.

Freed hostage Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, who was rescued in a military operation, testified that he was with Zalmanovitz at the hospital in Khan Yunis and witnessed his death.

Zalmanovitz’s son told Kan Reshet Bet: “My father told Farhan that he loved us and was worried about the members of the kibbutz — he knew what had happened to them.” Zalmanovitz was one of the oldest people abducted to Gaza on Oct. 7. About seven months after his abduction, his family was informed that he had been killed in captivity.

Adar was the deputy security coordinator and a member of the emergency response squad in Nir Oz. He fell during the battle to defend the kibbutz on the morning of Oct. 7, and his body was abducted by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

He was 38 years old when he died, leaving behind his wife Hadas, their two children, his parents, two brothers, and a sister. His grandmother, Yaffa Adar, was also abducted and returned in the first hostage deal in November 2023.

Four members of the emergency response squad were killed in battle at Nir Oz, and 76 residents of the kibbutz were abducted. The emergency squad fought alone against hundreds of terrorists. Security forces only arrived after 1:00 p.m.

Boaz Zalmanovitz, Aryeh’s son, told Kan Reshet Bet this morning, “My father died in a cruel way, in great physical and emotional suffering. He wasn’t given medication and couldn’t eat. We know he wasn’t shot or strangled, but he was murdered in a cruel way. It’s a very difficult message to receive, but there is some relief in it. Other hostages from Nir Oz saw him at the hospital in Khan Yunis and reported on his severe condition. Despite his deteriorating health, his spirit remained strong. He will be buried in Nir Oz — he has no other home.”

In Kibbutz Nir Oz, both men were mourned: “Zalman was part of the Nahal group that founded Kibbutz Nir Oz. Agriculture was the center of his life. He was a man of the land who worked in field crops, mainly wheat, under the harsh conditions of the Negev. He was a great conversationalist with vast knowledge of history and the land of Israel, and had an impressive stamp collection.”

"Zalman saw the kibbutz as the fulfilment of his life, and its community as his family. We will always remember him as a hardworking, honest, and humble man — an idealist and a farmer in heart and soul.”

Referring to Tamir, Kibbutz Nir Oz also said, “As deputy security coordinator and a member of the emergency squad, Tamir left his home to protect his family and community on that Black Saturday. During the heroic battle he fought with his comrades against hundreds of terrorists, Tamir was critically wounded, abducted, and did not survive his injuries. Tamir was a family man, a lover of people and nature, a farmer, and an educator by profession. A man of conversation with broad knowledge in almost every subject. A devoted fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv, always surrounded by friends, and loved by all.”

“We will remember Tamir as a dedicated educator, connected to nature and agriculture, a beloved partner, father, son, brother, and grandson who is dearly missed.”