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Israel announced on Saturday that the last remains handed over by Hamas via the Red Cross were those of a deceased hostage.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the deceased hostage as Eliyahu Margalit, known to many as “Churchill”, who was assassinated during the attacks on October 7, 2023. It also stressed that “Hamas is obliged to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all hostages to their families and allow them a dignified burial.”
Israel said Margalit was killed in the stables of Kibbutz Nir Oz and his body was then transported to Gaza, where he was held for more than two years. The Israeli military initially confirmed Margalit’s death in December 2023.
Margalit’s daughter, Nili Margalit, was also taken hostage but was released during the brief ceasefire of November 2023. He leaves behind a wife, three children and grandchildren.
Remains of last female Hamas hostage and IDF soldier handed over to Israel
Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was killed in the October 7, 2023 massacre and his body was transported to Gaza, where he was detained until October 18, 2025. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
“The Israeli government shares the deep sadness of the Margalit family and all the families of those kidnapped,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “The government and the entire Israeli Public Security Bureau are determined, committed and working tirelessly to repatriate all of our abductees for proper burial in their country.”
Margalit’s relatives said he went to feed his beloved horses early in the morning of October 7 and the horses were taken with him, according to the Times of Israel. The outlet added that Margalit was responsible for the kibbutz’s livestock for many years.
“Our beloved Eli has returned home, 742 days after he was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. We thank the people of Israel and the Hostage Families Forum for their support in the long struggle for his return, and promise that we will not stop or rest until the last of the hostages are returned to be buried in Israel,” the family said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.
Protesters hold up portraits of Israeli hostages Eliyahu Margalit (75), Eli Sharabi (51), Nimron Cohen (19) and others during a demonstration by families of hostages captured in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants during the October 7, 2023 attacks, calling for action to free the hostages, in front of the Israeli Prime Minister’s residence in Azza. (Gaza), in central Jerusalem, on October 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, created following the October 7 massacre, expressed its condolences to Margalit’s family.
“The families of the hostages and those released embrace the family of Eliyahu ‘Churchill’ Margalit in this difficult time, following the return of their beloved Eliyahu z”l to Israel last night for a proper burial,” the forum wrote. “Along with the grief and understanding that their hearts will never be whole again, Eliyahu’s return brings some comfort to a family who has been living in unbearable uncertainty and doubt for more than two years. years. We will not rest until the 18 hostages are repatriated. »
Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers salute the coffin of Eliyahu Margalit, draped in an Israeli flag. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
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The forum noted that Margalit was “a cowboy at heart” and was linked to an organization known as the “Riders of the South,” which has brought together equestrian enthusiasts for more than 50 years.
Margalit is the 10th deceased hostage to be returned to Israel, while the remains of 18 others remain in Gaza. Two of the deceased hostages whose bodies have not been returned are Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 21, both U.S. citizens.
