The Israeli military stated Saturday that it had recovered the body of an Israeli hostage all through an in a single day raid within the Gaza Strip.
The body of Elad Katzir was once returned to Israel after an operation within the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces stated.
According to Israeli military intelligence, Katzir died whilst being held in captivity by way of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant crew that took phase within the Oct. 7 assaults along Hamas, and is regarded as a 15 May Organization by way of the United States and the European Union.
The IDF expressed its private condolences to the circle of relatives.
In a Facebook post written in Hebrew, Katzir’s sister, Carmit Palty Katzir, took convenience within the go back of her brother’s body, announcing “Elad will have a grave in Nir Oz. We will not remain in uncertainty.”
She went directly to sharply criticize the IDF and the Israeli executive.
“He could have been saved if a deal was reached in time,” Carmit worte, noting that he was once photographed alive two times whilst in captivity. “Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen.”
Katzir was once taken hostage at age 47 by way of PIJ on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a neighborhood close to the Gaza border that was once some of the toughest hit by way of the Hamas-led assaults.
In December, Katzir appeared in a video launched by way of Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of PIJ. Katzir pleaded for his unlock along any other hostage who recognized himself as Gadi Moses.
His mom, Hanna, was once additionally taken hostage and therefore launched on Nov. 24 all through the 7-day truce and hostage-prisoner trade. Katzir’s father, Avraham-Rami Katzir, was once killed all through the assault at the kibbutz.
Katzir was once born and raised in Nir Oz, the place he labored on agricultural irrigation, and was once the liaison between the kibbutz and the military.
The IDF reiterated that it is going to proceed to find and go back the rest 130 or so hostages in Gaza “until the task is complete.”
The operation to get well Katzir’s body comes as Hamas stated it could ship a delegation to sign up for renewed talks for a hostage deal within the Egyptian capital, Cairo. President Joe Biden this week suggested Israel to succeed in a direct cease-fire settlement.