JNS
With the return of the four bodies, Israel has now received all 33 hostages to be handed over in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
The Prime Minister's Office announced on Thursday that the deaths of Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Shlomo Mantzur, and Itzik Elgarat have been confirmed following forensic analyses.
"Following the completion of the identification process by the IDF, the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police, IDF representatives have, overnight, informed the Yahalomi, Idan, Mantzur and Elgarat families that their loved ones—Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Shlomo Mantzur and Itzik Elgarat, of blessed memory—were murdered and have been returned for burial in Israel," the PMO statement said.
"Pursuant to the intelligence and all of the information at our disposal, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan and Itzik Elgarat were murdered while held hostage in Gaza. Shlomo Mantzur was murdered in the 7 October 2023 massacre and his body had been held in the Gaza Strip," the statement continued.
"We share in the families' sorrow at this difficult time."
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced earlier on Thursday that Israeli hostages Elgarat and Yahalomi, whose bodies were among four returned to Israel overnight Wednesday, were murdered in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Idan's family shortly thereafter confirmed the identification of Mantzur’s and Idan's remains, respectively.
The terrorist organization handed over to the Red Cross what it claimed were the bodies of the four Israelis at around midnight in Gaza.
The handover did not include a stage ceremony in front of a crowd of Gazans. These ceremonies during previous releases drew criticism from the United Nations and other international actors.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the handover.
"The coffins were, with Egyptian mediation, handed over to an IDF force at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. The initial identification process on Israeli territory has begun," the PMO said.
The identification process was carried out at the L. Greenberg National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv's Abu Kabir neighborhood.
The Israeli Health Ministry stated that a full forensic examination to determine the cause of death of the four will be conducted at a later time.
Speaking at the first Cabinet meeting of his second term earlier on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” that the four men were killed in captivity.
“We got a lot of hostages back, but it’s very sad,” Trump said. “This is a vicious group of people, and Israel is going to have to decide what they're doing.”
With the return of the four, Israel has now received all 33 hostages that were to be handed over in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Twenty-five returned alive.
Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, sent condolences to the families of four slain hostages who had returned from Hamas captivity. He expressed solidarity with their grief and vowed to continue efforts to bring back all the captives.
"May their memory be blessed. May God avenge their blood," the premier wrote.
"To the dear families, we grieve with you. The entire people of Israel embrace you and share in your sorrow," Netanyahu continued.
"I pledge that we will continue to act tirelessly until we bring everyone back—until we return all our sons and daughters home," the prime minister said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X, “Together with the entire nation, we share in the immense grief and sorrow of the bereaved families and the kibbutz communities of Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, and Kissufim.
“The return of our brothers’ bodies from captivity underscores our moral obligation to do everything in our power to bring back all the hostages—the living to their loving families, and the fallen to be late to rest. Until the last one is home! They are all humanitarian cases, and they must all be returned,” he continued.
“May their memory be a blessing.”
Following the identification of Franco-Israeli hostage Yahalomi’s body, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Hamas, tweeting that "the barbaric acts of Hamas must end." He expressed sympathy for the families, writing, “I share the immense pain of his family and loved ones.” Macron also noted that France had lost 50 of its citizens during the terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
In exchange for their return to Israel, Jerusalem is releasing some 600 Palestinian terrorists whose scheduled release on Feb. 22 was postponed due to ceasefire violations by Hamas, including the inhumane treatment of the hostages, who were forced to endure humiliating ceremonies upon their release.
Palestinian medics cited by Reuters reported that Israel had returned the body of an unidentified Gazan woman—initially handed over by Hamas in place of slain hostage Shiri Bibas—to a hospital in the Gaza Strip, following the recovery of Bibas’s remains over the weekend.
A Hamas source told Reuters that the Palestinian detainees set for release include 445 men and 24 women and minors arrested in Gaza, along with 151 prisoners serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.
The first phase of the ceasefire saw the exchange of the 33 Israeli hostages for some 2,000 Palestinian terrorists, along with the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from some areas in Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the Strip.
As the 42-day truce approaches its expiration on Saturday, it remains unclear whether it will be extended to facilitate the release of more of the 59 remaining hostages, or if talks for a second phase of the deal will commence.
Israel assesses that 24 of the remaining hostages, all of them men, are alive, while 35 have been confirmed dead, including three women.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum posted to X biographies of the four slain abductees.
Tsachi Idan, 50, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7. His daughter, Maayan, of blessed memory, was tragically murdered by Hamas terrorists during the brutal attack.
Tsachi was a kind and humble man who was always ready to help others. He worked in the high-tech industry, was a passionate supporter of Hapoel Tel Aviv, and enjoyed playing soccer, volleyball, and tennis.
Ohad Yahalomi, 50, was abducted on Oct. 7 while defending his family and friends in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
A devoted father of three, Ohad worked as a ranger for the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority. He was a humble man with a deep love for nature, a passionate lover of his homeland, and someone who enjoyed life to the fullest.
Shlomo Asad Mantzur was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim on Oct. 7.
Born in 1938, Shlomo survived the Farhud pogrom in Iraq before immigrating to Israel in 1951, where he became one of the founding members of Kibbutz Kissufim.
A lively and optimistic individual, Shlomo was deeply committed to giving back. A polymath with a tireless work ethic, he was known for his generosity and dedication.
Itzhak (Itzik) Elgarat, 69, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. Itzik was a man of the world, loved traveling and nature, and was a devoted fan of Maccabi Tel Aviv football club. A beloved brother, a cool uncle, funny, and full of joy for life. Itzik was taken hostage from his home while he was on the phone with his brother, Danny. Itzik is survived by his two children.
