KFAR MAAS, Israel: Two Israeli hostages whose remains were recovered from Gaza last week were laid to rest on Monday in separate funerals attended by family and friends. The Israeli military announced Friday that the bodies of Idan Shtivi, 28, and Ilan Weiss, 55, had been returned nearly 23 months after they were killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault.
Shtivi, a student and volunteer photographer at the Nova music festival, was buried in Kfar Maas, central Israel. In an emotional eulogy, his mother, Dalit, spoke of their “divine bond” and asked for his forgiveness for being unable to protect him. For nearly a year, the family had held onto hope he was alive, until authorities confirmed on the eve of the attack’s first anniversary that he had been killed while trying to help the wounded escape. His car, later found riddled with bullets, had crashed into a tree.
Weiss, who died defending his home community of kibbutz Beeri near the Gaza border, was buried there. His wife Shiri and daughter Noga, kidnapped during the attack, were freed during a truce in November 2023. The military said the recovery of both bodies was part of a “complex rescue operation.” Out of 251 hostages taken on October 7, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 the army believes are dead.
