The Israeli military said Saturday its forces recovered the body of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza during a night raid.
“The body of hostage Elad Katzir was rescued by security forces overnight from Khan Yunis and returned to Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a post on X.
“Elad Katzir was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization during the October 7 Massacre,” the post added. “His mother, Hanna, was also abducted by IJ and released on November 24, and his father, Avraham, was murdered in the kibbutz. According to intelligence, Elad was murdered by IJ in captivity.”
Katzir’s sister reacted to the news in a post on Facebook.
“Elad will have a grave in Nir Oz. We will not remain in uncertainty,” Carmit Palty Katzir wrote in Hebrew, according to NBC News.
“He could have been saved if a deal was reached in time,” Carmit added, saying he had been photographed alive twice since being taken hostage. “Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen.”
The 47-year-old man appeared in a video released by Al-Quds Brigades in December in which he pleaded for his release along with another hostage, Gadi Moses.
“Our mission since the beginning of the war has been, and remains, to locate and bring the hostages home,” the IDF post said. “We will continue to operate until it is complete.”
Roughly 130 hostages remain in Gaza.
Hamas recently said it would send a delegation to participate in negotiations for a hostage deal in Cairo.
Amit Soussana, who was held hostage for 55 days, said she was sexually assaulted during her time in captivity, as the New York Times first reported.
A United Nations group previously conducted an investigation and found “clear and convincing information” that Hamas terrorists committed rape and sexual torture during the October 7 massacre.