Israel recovers body of captive Ilan Weiss from Gaza: Army
Israel has recovered the body of captive Ilan Weiss from the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army. The belongings of someone believed to be another captive, whose identity has not yet been cleared for publication, was also retrieved, the army said on X.
'He didn't hesitate for a second': On October 7, Ilan rushed to defend his kibbutz. His body has now been brought home
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkcmvfkcxe
On the morning of October 7, 2023, as Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, Ilan Weiss rushed to defend his kibbutz. Weiss, 56, was the deputy head of the emergency response team in Kibbutz Be’eri. When he learned that the kibbutz security chief had been killed at the gate in the first minutes of the attack, Weiss grabbed the keys to the armory and went to unlock it for the local alert squad. He never came back.
Netanyahu promises to return all captives after body retrieved
We have been reporting on deceased Israeli captive Ilan Weiss whose body was retrieved from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed renewed commitment to securing the return of captives following the recovery of Weiss’s body.
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their great sorrow,” he said. “The campaign to return the kidnapped continues continuously, we will not rest or be silent until we return all our kidnapped people home – the living and the dead alike.”
President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute, urging the international community to act for the immediate release of all captives.
The Hamas-led October 2023 attacks on Israel killed 1,139 people, with another 251 taken captive. Most of the captives have since been released through diplomatic negotiations, although 50 remain in Gaza, of whom 20 are said to be alive.
Israel, meanwhile, has not responded publicly to Hamas’s acceptance of a proposal for a ceasefire that would allow the return of a number of the captives.
Israeli officials have, however, insisted that they would only accept a deal that sees all of the captives released and Hamas’s surrender.
That's Egypt's / Witkoff's proposal Hamas agreed to. Hamas has offered a full swap for months for the end of the war. Netanyahu simply doesn't want to stop the genocidal campaign. No negotiations going on from the Israeli side.
Intelligence, special forces, and Shin Bet collaborated in recovery of Weiss’s body: Military
According to the military, the operation was carried out by the military’s Southern Command, “in collaboration with the Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet, and special forces”.
“Following an identification process conducted at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police, the Hostages Team in the Manpower Directorate delivered the notification to the [Weiss’] family and the Beeri community,” it added.
Weiss was a member of Kibbutz Beeri, the army said, and was killed and taken from his home on October 7, 2023.
Weiss was 55 at the time of his death, they noted. His wife Shiri and daughter Noga were also taken captive but later released in November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire.
