The body of an Israeli hostage, who was killed while held captive by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad, has been returned to the family, the Israeli military said Saturday.
The body of Elad Katzir was rescued overnight from Khan Yunis and returned to his family in Israel following identification procedures, according to a joint statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).
Katzir was abducted by Islamic Jihad from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the attacks on October 7, according to the statement. His mother, Hanna, was also abducted by the terrorist group and released on November 24 as part of the agreement for the release of hostages. His father, Avraham, was killed in the kibbutz, the statement said.
Elad's sister Carmit expressed her grief in a Facebook post, stating, 'We received bad news. Elad was brought to Israel tonight [last night], after he was murdered in captivity. This is not how your story and ours should have ended. Sorry we couldn't save you.'
Carmit also criticized the Israeli leadership for what she perceived as a lack of action in bringing the hostages home. She stated, 'He could have been saved if a deal had been made in time. Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen.'
Following Katzir's return, Israeli authorities reported that a total of 133 hostages remain held in Gaza. Of that number, 129 hostages are from the October 7 attack, with 99 believed to be alive.
