The body of Yair Yakov was recently rescued from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip and returned to his family for burial.
By Rachel Avraham
The IDF recovered the body of hostage Yair Yaakov from the Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, Kibbutz Nir Oz announced in February 2024 that Yaakov was murdered in Hamas captivity. His body was discovered in the Khan Yunis area and was made possible for recovery following information provided by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) after interrogating Gazan detainees, the Jerusalem Post added.
After Yaakov’s body was retrieved, the kibbutz said he was a “humble, simple man, who loved his family and music. He worked in agriculture all his life and, in recent years, worked in a garage in Kibbutz Alumim,” the Jerusalem Post stressed. Yagil Yaakov, Yair’s son, told Haaretz: “Our father came home, but not the way we dreamed. Today we say goodbye with heavy hearts, and it’s hard to think that we’ll never be with him again.”
Yagil then addressed his father directly in Haaretz: “Dear Dad, thank you for all your love, for everything you were to us, and for what you taught us. We will always love you.” Yagil, who was also kidnapped on October 7 alongside his brother and later released in the first hostage deal, described his father as “a simple man with a huge heart.” He said, “He loved the land of our country, the fields, nature, and the small, simple things in life. He always taught us to appreciate what we have, to smile, to find joy, and to try to be happy – even when it’s hard.”
Merav Tal, Yair’s wife and a relesed hostage herself, told Arutz Sheva: “With endless heartbreak, I still can’t believe I am standing here, speaking about Yaya, my beloved husband, being brought back to his homeland after he was brutally murdered in captivity. His body was returned as part of a complex rescue operation, allowing us to bring him to eternal rest, surrounded by the love of his family and all those who cared for him.”
She stressed: “My Yaya, my husband, my best friend. We had a loving, blossoming, and joyful home. Just the night before, we celebrated Yaya’s 59th birthday. I want to thank the government and its leadership, the security forces, the diplomatic teams, and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum for their devoted, determined, and moving support, and everyone who has walked this path with us since that terrible moment of the abduction until now.
Merav continued: “Most of all, a huge thank you to the IDF, to the pure-hearted soldiers, to the angels in uniform, whom I love deeply. With endless devotion, they brought Yaya home. Words cannot express the appreciation and love I feel for them. Because of them, I felt embraced, protected, not alone.”
Merav concluded in Arutz Sheva: “Alongside Yaya’s return, which, despite everything, brings a sense of closure, my heart is with the 53 remaining hostages still suffering in Gaza. I think about them constantly, pray for their safety, and wholeheartedly wish for each and every one of them to return home, to life, to embrace, to hope. Too many lives have been lost in captivity. This must end, for their sake, for their loved ones, and for the State of Israel. I hope that bereaved families, like ours, will at least be able to bury their loved ones, to say goodbye, to grieve, and to begin the difficult road to healing.”
Photo from AT World News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc_fnATqJHM
