The bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross at 11:00pm Israel time, the Jerusalem Post reported. According to the report, three of the hostages were murdered in captivity, while another one was handed over to Israel.
By Rachel Avraham
The bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the State of Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross 11:00pm last night, the Jerusalem Post reported. The bodies were handed over without any sort of ceremonies, as agreed between Israel and Hamas, after the scandal that occurred when the last four bodies were released during a barbaric ceremony, where the Bibas children’s bodies were displayed on stage to lively music. According to the report, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, and Itzhak Elgarat were murdered in Hamas captivity, and Shlomo Mantzur was killed on October 7, the Prime Minister’s Office announced. Hamas released the four hostages Wednesday night and their identities were confirmed Thursday morning.
The Jerusalem Post reported that terrorists abducted French-Israeli national Ohad Yahalomi from Kibbutz Nir Oz after shooting him in the leg – the then-49-year-old had been attempting to fight off the invading gunmen entering his home. According to the report, on October 7, 2023, after learning of the approaching terrorists, Ohad sealed his wife, Batsheva, and their three children in their safe room. The Jerusalem Post reported that the room’s door handle had broken, preventing the family from safely locking themselves inside – which led Ohad to sit in front of the door, guarding his family with only a handgun to protect them. This led to the situation where he was abducted and murdered in Gaza in Hamas captivity, although his wife and children managed to escape before they reached Gaza.
Israel Hayom reported that Tsachi Idan was brutally abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023. According to the report, this happened before the eyes of his wife Gali and children Yael (12) and Shahar (10), after his daughter Maayan (18) was murdered beside him, and in front of the rest of the family as the two held the safe room door. According to Israel Hayom, Devora Idan, Tsachi’s mother, waged a persistent struggle to bring him back, participated in rallies, and appealed to leaders’ hearts. At one point she said: “My son was abducted after his daughter was murdered in his hands. Our family lives in this nightmare and this surreal reality. Time is not on our side. The victory image is only the return of all hostages to their homes, healthy and whole as soon as possible. Without the hostages, there will be no more revival for the State of Israel.” Sadly, he was returned in a coffin after being murdered in captivity.
I24 News reported that Itzik Elgarat was snatched from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz with an injured hand, after trying to hold the bomb shelter door. According to the report, before being taken away, he managed to speak with his brother, Danny, on the phone and said to him, “Danny I’m injured, my hand is bleeding, help me put a tourniquet.” Danny, a former police officer, guided him on the phone and Itzik was heard telling him at the end of the call: “Danny this is the end, this is the end.”
Israel Hayom reported that in December 2023 returned hostages told Danny they saw his brother and that he has a scar on his hand. According to the report, this information lifted Danny’s spirits, who is one of the prominent voices in the struggle to return the hostages. However, that didn’t last long. Israel Hayom reported that in July 2024 Danny claimed he received a notice that his brother Itzhak was no longer among the living, but such notice was not officially confirmed from the army until now.
For more than 70 years, Shlomo Mantzur lived in Kibbutz Kisufim. Shlomo, who survived the Farhud pogrom in Iraq as a child, and his wife Mazal have five children and 12 grandchildren. “He was a peace-loving man, a loving person, sensitive, honest, and kind-hearted. The mustache became one of his trademarks,” a relative told Israel Hayom. According to the report, he was abducted from his home while his wife Mazal saw him being dragged away by the terrorists. Israel Hayom reported that Hamas terrorists handcuffed him, beat him, and took him by car to Gaza. According to the report, the terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Kisufim conducted a massacre, murdered at least 12 of his friends, and also murdered six Thai workers.
Shortly before he was supposed to return home, the IDF informed the family that Shlomo Mantzur, who was defined as the eldest hostage, that he was murdered on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza, Israel Hayom reported. For almost a year and a half his family waged a struggle to return him assuming he was alive – but their hearts were broken, according to the report.
