The body of Itay Svirsky “who was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Beeri and murdered in captivity” by Hamas in January, “has been brought back”, announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Published on 04/12/2024 20:23
Reading time: 2min
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday, December 4 that Israel had recovered, during a special operation, the body of an Israeli hostage kidnapped on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas attack, and killed in Gaza during his captivity.
“In a special operation, the body of hostage Itay Svirsky who was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Beeri and murdered in captivity by Hamas terrorists in January 2024 was brought back”said the Prime Minister in a statement, after more than a year of war against the Palestinian Islamist group. The family was informed of the identification of the body the same day, the Israeli army said on social media.
The 38-year-old Israeli was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 while visiting his parents in Kibbutz Beeri. His parents were killed in the Hamas commando attack. The army declared him dead in January 2024. The Hostage Families Forum, a collective which represents the majority of relatives of hostages kidnapped in Gaza, welcomed “the return of Itay's body” and demanded “the immediate release of the hostages still alive”.
The Israeli army released another statement revealing the results of an investigation into the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were brought back to Israel in August. “It is very likely that their deaths are linked to the strike [israélienne] near where they were being held. According to the most plausible scenario, the terrorists shot the hostages at the time of the strike.”affirms the army in this press release. Commenting on the result of the army investigation, the Families Forum wished to recall “the dangers that hostages face on a daily basis, as this investigation proves.”
