The Israeli Army recovered on Friday (29) the remains of Ilan Weiss, 56, an Israeli hostage that had been kidnapped by the terrorist group Hamas during the attacks of October 7, 2023.
After being taken to the Gaza Strip – along with his daughter Noga and his wife, Shiri, these released during a truce agreement in 2023 – Ilan’s whereabouts remained unknown until his family was informed that the Israeli had been killed and that only his body was at the enclave.
“He did not hesitate a second”
When strongly armed terrorists took the Be’eri Kibbutz (community), Ilan Weiss, who had the post of vice-head of the community emergency team, left his family in the room insurance and immediately took the keys from the arms deposit and went out. From there, never returned.
While Weiss was fighting for the community, terrorists invaded their home. Her noga daughter hid under a bed in her safe room and her wife, Shiri, was taken hostage.
Hidden, the couple’s daughter watched the violations and denounced the kidnapping in WhatsApp groups.
The terrorists then burned down the house, Noga fled through a window and was then taken with life, taken hostage and taken to the Gaza Strip. After 50 days at the enclave, the mother and daughter were released in the first hostage agreement in November 2023.
“On October 7, when the news came of infiltration, Ilan did not hesitate for a moment. Despite the serious danger, he left his home to protect us, the members of Be’eri. We shared the deep pain of the family and hope that they will find some comfort to know that Ilan will be buried in the soil of Be’eri, which he loved and for which he gave life,” they said in a tribute, one of the most Kibutz Be’eri, one attacked by terrorists.
At a Tel Aviv rally earlier this month, Noga recalled her father’s last moments. “When they told him that there could be terrorists inside the Kibbutz, he did not hesitate a second. He took the keys from the arms warehouse and left home to defend us and defend the community. It was the last time I saw him,” she said.
“At 7:15 am that morning, when he left the room safe, I asked him to take care of himself. He said to my mother and me not worrying, that it would all end in a few minutes and he would come back.”
In the rally, she had alleged the authorities to recover the body of her late father “just to say goodbye forever, and be buried in the soil she loved.”
Members of Kibutz Be’eri, a place that has to be visible to fire marks, bullet holes in the walls, fully burned houses and that barely has an intact building, have defined Ilan as a “modest and righteous man, deeply involved in community life and highly respected by his actions.”
“A dedicated head of household who took care of his loved ones, he loved to receive visits, take care of the garden, drink beer and ride a weekend on weekends with his brother -in -law, Gil Boim” – who was also killed in the terrorist attack.
In addition to his wife and noga, Ilan leaves two other daughters.
Weiss’s body recovery was part of a military operation carried out by Israel’s defense forces (FDI) in conjunction with the country’s secret service Shin Bet.
The FDI detailed that the remains were located after a long effort of intelligence that included interrogations of captured terrorists. “The operation was possible thanks to the accuracy of the information collected by the hostage task force, military intelligence and Shin Bet,” they said.
The identification was completed at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine with the aid of the police, and then Ilan’s relatives were reported, as well as members of the Be’eri community.
“Israel’s defense forces (IDF) and Shin Bet share families’ pain and will continue to make every effort to bring all hostages home,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the operation also recovered remains belonging to another hostage-whose name has not yet been released.
