The body of an Israeli hostage has been recovered in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday.
Elad Katzir was first abducted in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, which claimed roughly 1,200 lives, by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group along with his mother, Hanna, according to the IDF. The IDF announced that the hostage’s body was discovered overnight in Khan Yunis, a major urban area in the Gaza Strip, and returned to Israeli territory.
“According to intelligence, Elad was murdered by IJ in captivity,” the IDF said in a statement. “Our mission since the beginning of the war has been, and remains, to locate and bring the hostages home. We will continue to operate until it is complete.”
Katzir’s mother was released in late November, while his father, Avraham, was killed in Israel during Hamas’ initial attack, according to the IDF. (RELATED: American-Israeli Captive In Gaza Announced Dead, Family Maintains Calls For Immediate Hostage Deal)
The hostage had been seen alive in two propaganda videos published by the Islamic Jihad group in December and January, according to The Times Of Israel.
Demonstrators lift portraits of Elad Katzir during a protest for relatives and supporter of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants, during a rally calling for their release in Tel Aviv on February 3, 2024. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Katzir’s sister, Carmit, slammed the Israeli government in a Facebook post following the discovery of her brother’s body.
“He could have been saved, if a deal had been reached in time. Our leadership is cowardly and motivated by political considerations, and that it why that didn’t happen,” Carmit Palty Katzir wrote. “He was abandoned on October 7, and was then abandoned for 183 days during which he could have been brought back home alive.”
Katzir’s discovery comes as thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv to call for elections to replace Israeli government officials and to negotiate a hostage release with Hamas, according to The Washington Post.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to such calls on Sunday, arguing that an election would “paralyze Israel for at least half a year” and would be celebrated by Hamas.
“The pain of the families of the hostages breaks my heart; I think it breaks all of our hearts,” said Netanyahu. “Anyone who says that I’m not doing everything to bring back our hostages is wrong and is misleading others.”
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