The body of hostage Lior Rudaeff was returned to Israel last Friday and identified on Saturday morning.
By Rachel Avraham
Israeli military representatives on Saturday morning notified the family of Lior Rudaeff that his body was returned to Israel by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Friday night, after forensic experts completed their identification of the body, the Times of Israel reported. According to the report, Rudaeff, 61, the deputy security coordinator at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and a member of its civil defense squad, was killed while battling Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in the community on the morning of October 7, 2023.
Aside from serving as deputy security coordinator for Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, Rudaeff also worked as a Magen David Adom emergency medical technician and ambulance driver, Arutz Sheva reported. MDA Director General, Eli Bin eulogized Rudaeff in Arutz Sheva: “Lior was a man of giving, dedication, and deep compassion for others. For 25 years, he was known as the legendary ambulance driver of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, saving countless lives. On the morning of October 7th, he left his home to fight the terrorists and shielded his fellow kibbutz members with his own body. He was always there for others – extending a helping hand to anyone in need, always with a smile and a zest for life. The Magen David Adom family embraces the Rudaeff family and bows its head upon the return of his body to Israel.”
Arutz Sheva reported that Rudaeff was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel at age seven, settling in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak where he built his home. According to the report, those close to him say he had a generous spirit and volunteered for 40 years as an ambulance driver in the Eshkol Regional Council and as a member of the Nir Yitzhak emergency response team. He always volunteered first and extended a helping hand to everyone, Arutz Sheva reported.
On the morning of October 7th, Lior heard gunfire outside his home and immediately went out to help, Arutz Sheva added. According to the report, the emergency response team of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak fought heroically near the kibbutz gate and stopped many terrorists. The squad fought for hours without any IDF backup, the Jerusalem Post added. During those chaotic hours, several members of the team were killed in the fighting, the Jerusalem Post noted. At some point, Rudaeff was nowhere to be found, the Jerusalem Post stressed. After a fierce battle, Lior was killed and his body was kidnapped to Gaza along with Tal Haimi of blessed memory, whose body was later returned for burial, Arutz Sheva emphasized.
When his phone was later tracked to Gaza, it was believed that he had been taken hostage alive with others from the kibbutz, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, his family believed him to be alive for seven months before the IDF informed them that Rudaeff had been killed on October 7, and his body was hijacked into the enclave by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Jerusalem Post reported that Rudaeff leaves behind a wife, four children, three grandchildren, and a father, sister, and brother.
The bodies of five slain hostages now remain held in the Gaza Strip — four Israelis and a Thai citizen: Meny Godard, Lt. Hadar Goldin, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, Dror Or and Sudthisak Rinthalak, the Times of Israel reported. “The Israeli government shares in the deep sorrow of the Rudaeff family and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Photo from NewsX World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeAfyltVqN4
