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The remains of Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour and another slain hostage were en route to the National Center of Forensic Medicine early on Thursday. They were returned to Israel on Wednesday after they were released by Hamas, concluding the first phase of the cease-fire agreement.
The convoy was escorted by IDF and Israel Police special forces.
A military honor guard received them at Kerem Shalom, where preliminary forensic examinations were performed to enable a positive identification. Upon arrival, the chief military Rabbi, Brigadier General Rabbi Eyal Krim held a small religious ceremony.
The families of the hostages were notified that their loved ones were to return and will get final confirmation after the forensic examination to determine the cause of death is complete.
Israelis came out in the late night hours, carrying flags to honor the hostages as they made their way to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. "We will honor those who were abducted and deserted," they said.
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Israelis come out to honor the four slain hostages returned from Gaza
(Video: Herzl Yossef)
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Israelis come out to honor the four dead hostages returned to Israel
(Photo: Ilana Curiel)
Many of those people, residents of the communities near the border, neighbors of those who were abducted. "This has not been an easy day, Nahal Oz secretary Matan Weize said of his neighbor and friend Tsachi Idan. "We've held on to hope until the last moment. But it was important to us to be here to pay respect as the convoy passes."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on behalf of the family of Tsachi Idan, who was kidnapped on October 7 from his home in Nahal Oz: "Our family received with great sadness the announcement from Hamas that our beloved Tsachi is no longer alive and his body will be returned to Israel during the night. We are all still waiting for the long-awaited certainty, which we will be able to receive only after he arrives in Israel and all the necessary tests are conducted by the authorized authorities of the state, while maintaining the privacy of Tsachi and his family."
"Since Tsachi was kidnapped on his feet, we have received several signs of life, and in the previous deal in November last year, Tsachi was alive and expected to be released. We are grateful for the great love and support we receive from the citizens of Israel, the media and the Nahal Oz community. In these difficult times, we ask that our privacy be respected. We will update later after receiving details from authorized officials of the State of Israel," the statement from the family also said.
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Tsachi and Gali Idan and daughter Maayan, who was killed on October 7
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
Tsachi Idan, 50, was kidnapped from his home in Nahal Oz, after terrorists who broke in and murdered his oldest daughter, Maayan. Their home became a sort of terrorist headquarters, where they gathered other families from the kibbutz. From there, they handcuffed and took Tsachi and Omri Miran, and Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have since been released.
Tsachi worked in high-tech, was married to Gali for 18 years, and the two are parents of four: the late Maayan, 15.5-year-old Sharon, who was with her aunt in Tel Aviv on Oct. 7, 12-year-old Yael, and 10-year-old Shahar. His family and friends say that he was "passionate about soccer and a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv"
Danny Elgarat said his brother was "sacrificed on the altar of politics." In a poem he wrote to his brother, Danny said he was defeated in his fight to bring his brother home alive, the total victory was over him, he said alluding to the declarations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his government that the war will be fought until total victory is achieved. "We are very sad, we feel very bad, but right now we are focused on one thing - and that is to bring Itzik home, to Nir Oz, and there to give him all the respect he deserves," he told ynet earlier.
"Enough time has passed and we need to face reality. If some mistake was made, which I find hard to believe, then we will be surprised. Right now we just feel great sadness," he said.
Elgarat said that the family heard from hostages who were returned in the first deal two months after October 7, and later from Sagui Dekel-Chen and Yarden Bibas, that his brother had been alive when he was kidnapped and that by April his condition had deteriorated and his life was in danger.
Itzik, 69, was kidnapped on the day of the massacre from his home. He had been wounded by gunfire earlier and called his brother Danny to ask for help. Danny explained to him how to place a tourniquet, and then their conversation was interrupted. For a long time his condition was unknown, until it became clear that he had been kidnapped alive despite his injuries. Itzik had previously lived in Denmark, where his children live, and returned to Israel a few years ago.
Shlomo Mansour, 85, was the oldest hostage held in Gaza. He was kidnapped on October 7 from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim, when terrorists took him and handcuffed him. His wife Mazal begged for her life and managed to escape. About two weeks ago, the kibbutz announced that it had been informed by the IDF that Shlomo had been murdered on October 7 and his body taken into Gaza. He is survived by five children and 12 grandchildren.
"In accordance with Israel's demands, an agreement was reached with the mediators: our four fallen hostages will be returned tonight as part of Phase I, in an agreed-upon procedure and without Hamas ceremonies," the Prime Minister's Office said earlier.
Earlier, a police source told Ynet that preparations are also being made in Israel to return the hostages' bodies.
Violations from day one
Negotiations for the next phase of the deal have been taking place all week in the U.S. between President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and the head of the negotiating team, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. Internal discussions and processes have taken place within Israel. Israel plans to send a delegation as soon as the current phase is completed. At the moment it is not clear whether the delegation will arrive in Doha or Cairo, but as soon as the bodies are transferred, Israel will be ready to send a team.
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The coffins of hostages returned in a previous round arrive at the National Center of Forensic Medicine
(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Senior Israeli officials said that, over the past month, Israel has warned the mediators not to turn a blind eye to Hamas' violations. During talks in Doha, and later in Cairo, Israel made it clear that it views Hamas' violations as serious. These violations include Hamas' decision to disrupt the implementation of the agreement when a cabinet discussion on Phase II began and the decision not to hold the previous meeting.
In talks in Cairo, Israel made it clear that the debasing and humiliating handover ceremonies are unacceptable, both in terms of the danger to the hostages as in the case with Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes, and also in the manner in which the degrading ceremonies are performed. Israel specifically warned against such degrading ceremonies with the dead hostages. And although the message was conveyed and received, Hamas held a shocking ceremony with the coffins of the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz, and in addition, they transferred the body of a Gazan woman to Israel instead of Shiri Bibas.
Israel was also outraged by Hamas' shocking act last Saturday of bringing Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David to the release ceremony of Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen. "We warned against this and we will not tolerate this as the next attack," said an Israeli official.
First published: 04:15, 02.27.25