Funerals have commenced for Israelis who perished in captivity and were returned from Gaza as part of a recent ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. The nation is bracing for the return of more remains of former captives. The first of these solemn ceremonies was held for Guy Illouz, a 26-year-old sound technician, who was abducted by Hamas while working at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, a day marked by one of the deadliest massacres.
Illouz’s family had been aware of his death for two years, following a report from a freed hostage who saw him in a Gaza hospital, chained and suffering from untreated injuries. Hundreds gathered along the roads near Israel’s national forensics center on the outskirts of Tel Aviv and at the cemetery in Ra’anana, where he was laid to rest.
Family and Friends Mourn
Leading the mourners was Guy’s father, Michel Illouz, who delivered an emotional eulogy outside the cemetery gates. “I kept my promise and looked at you,” he said, recounting his final moments with his son at the morgue. “My Guy, I love you so much, love you so much. You will be missing from my life every second and minute.”
Family friend Zvika Tamari described Guy as a “delicate boy, and a true natural spirit,” noting his passion for music and sound engineering. “He was a sound technician for one of the best rock bands in Israel,” Tamari said, reflecting on Guy’s professional journey and his interest in learning about sound production at large events like the Nova festival.
“It’s very difficult — on one hand, it is a closure of a circle, which both his parents needed, to know that they’ve done anything to bring him back, even for a grave,” said Tamari.
Dalit Dash, who attended the funeral despite not knowing the family personally, expressed solidarity with the Illouz family. “We have been with them for a long stretch of time, we spent two years in the streets, calling for the release of the hostages,” she said, lamenting the circumstances of Guy’s return.
Ongoing Hostage Returns
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the bodies of two more hostages were returned on Wednesday night. These remains were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross before being transferred to the IDF for identification. Following the release of the last 20 living hostages and the bodies of seven deceased, 21 hostages remained in Gaza.
An eighth body returned on Tuesday was determined not to be a hostage based on forensic analysis. If the two bodies handed over on Wednesday are confirmed as hostages, 19 remain unaccounted for in Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated that all remaining hostages must be returned within 72 hours. However, Hamas has indicated that retrieving the remaining bodies is challenging due to the destruction and their location in Israeli-controlled territory.
Hamas’s military wing, Al Qassam Brigade, stated, “As for the remaining corpses, it requires extensive efforts and special equipment for their retrieval and extraction. We are exerting great effort in order to close this file.”
Pressure on Hamas and the Road to Recovery
For families of the deceased hostages still in Gaza, the situation is fraught with mixed emotions. Udi Goren, a prominent campaigner for the hostage families, expressed relief at the return of living captives but disappointment that not all hostages have been returned. His cousin, Tal Haimi, was killed while defending his kibbutz before being taken into Gaza.
“The deal stipulated within 72 hours all hostages come back, and for the first time in these past two years, I actually thought Tal might be coming back, and he didn’t,” Goren said.
Goren emphasized the need for increased pressure on Hamas, stating, “Unfortunately, and I say it with great sorrow, if we don’t act forcefully with Hamas, we will never get the murdered hostages back home.”
Meanwhile, the 20 living hostages recently returned to Israel are receiving care in specialized clinics at several Tel Aviv hospitals. The Rabin Medical Centre is treating five of these individuals, including Evyatar David, who was last seen in a Hamas video in dire conditions.
Dr. Mihal Steinman, director of nursing at Rabin Medical Centre, commented on the resilience of the hostages. “These are five amazing, very, very, brave young men that against all odds … survived this traumatic captivity,” she said, noting the deceptive appearance of their health due to their baggy clothing.
“When you see him when he’s dressed, he looks one way, but when you check him you see that he really needs now a lot of nutritional treatment and slowly, slowly to gain weight,” Dr. Steinman said of Evyatar David.
Among those being treated is Avinatan Or, reunited with his girlfriend Noa Argamani, another former hostage. Their capture became an iconic image of the October 7 horrors. Now reunited, they shared their first cigarette together in two years, a moment Dr. Steinman noted as part of their emotional recovery.
The hostages are expected to stay with their families at the hospital for several days before continuing their treatment as outpatients in a “homecoming clinic.” “We will escort them for years,” Dr. Steinman concluded, underscoring the long journey to recovery.
