JERUSALEM — Israeli forces have retrieved the bodies of two hostages, that of Ilan Weiss and Idan Shtivi, that Hamas terrorists had kept in the Gaza Strip, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem said on Aug. 29.
Weiss, 56, was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, while defending Kibbutz Be’eri, and his corpse was taken to Gaza, according to the statement. His daughter and wife, Noga and Shiri, were also abducted. They were released in November, 2023 as part of a hostage deal.
Idan Shtivi, whose identity was shared by the IDF a day later, was 28 on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas terrorists murdered him after he acted to rescue and evacuate attendees from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im. His body was abducted from the Tel Gama area in the northwestern Negev. His name was publicized after the identification process was completed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Shtivi “courageous” in a statement published by his office on Aug. 30, expressing sympathy for his family on behalf of the Israeli people. He spoke with both Shtivi’s Weiss’ families.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his hope in an X post Aug. 30 that “this will bring a measure of comfort to [Shtivi’s] beloved parents, Eli and Dalit, and to his siblings, who have shown remarkable strength in their determined struggle for his return,” adding that “these moments of deep sorrow remind us of one truth: Hamas’ crimes are crimes against humanity. The world must act with moral clarity and press for the release of all the hostages. Every last one.”
About Weiss, Herzog said: “692 days after he was brutally kidnapped with his wife Shiri and their daughter Noga, Ilan’s body was recovered in a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation. A moment of deep sorrow, but also of closure. Ilan showed courage and noble spirit when he fought the terrorists on that dark day. In his death, he gave life. And ever since, his family has shown extraordinary strength in their struggle for his return.”
The IDF and Shin Bet also conveyed their condolences to the families in a statement announcing Shtivi’s identification, saying that they would “continue every effort possible to bring all the hostages home.”
With the retrieval of the two bodies, Hamas is believed to now be holding 20 living hostages and another 28 bodies.
Netanyahu described Shtivi as a “talented student of sustainability and government, and a courageous individual.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that Shtivi was a “student of environmental sustainability, a person who wanted to make the world a better place. He was passionate about extreme sports and free diving. He loved nature, photography, animals and especially dogs. He came to the Nova festival to photograph and document his friends who were playing music and leading workshops.”
