The Israeli army announced on Saturday April 6 that it had recovered during the night the body of Elad Katzir, an Israeli hostage held by Hamas, in Khan Younes, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The assassination of the hostage, who was 47 years old when he was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Nir Oz, “according to information” from Shin Beth, the Israeli domestic intelligence service, “was [perpetrated] in captivity by the “Islamic Jihad [Palestinian] terrorist organization,” according to a statement.
His mother, Hanna, who was taken hostage at the same time, was released on November 24 in the only truce in Israel's six-month war with Hamas. His father, Avraham, was killed the day of the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on the kibbutz.
The body of Elad Katzir was repatriated to Israel, where he was formally identified, further clarified the Israeli army, which expressed its “deepest condolences to the family”. “Our mission is to locate and bring the hostages home,” she added.
For Carmit Palty Katzir, Mr. Katzir's sister, releasing him alive “could have been possible if a hostage deal had been reached in time. Our leaders are cowardly and driven by political considerations, which is why an agreement has not yet been reached.” “Elad was taken from his home in Nir Oz alive and in one piece, and was filmed twice during his captivity” by his captors, Ms. Katzir points out on her Facebook account. “Prime minister, war cabinet, members of the [government] coalition. Look in the mirror and say your hands are not covered in this blood,” she adds.
