Hamas returns body of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s Eliyahu Margalit; 18 slain hostages still held

Military representatives on Saturday morning informed the family of hostage Eliyahu “Churchill” Margalit that his body had been returned to Israel by Hamas the previous night and formally identified by forensic experts, The Times of Israel reported.

According to The Times of Israel, Margalit, 75, was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, at the stables in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he had cared for the cattle for decades. His body was abducted to Gaza during the assault. His daughter, Nili Margalit, 40, was also taken hostage that day but was freed on November 30, 2023.

The Times of Israel reported that the Red Cross collected Margalit’s casket from Hamas in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis late Friday. The remains were handed over to Israel Defense Forces troops, who transported the casket out of Gaza for examination and identification. The army conducted a short ceremony, draping the casket in the Israeli flag before it was escorted to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv.

After verification, IDF representatives informed Margalit’s family. “Our beloved Eli has returned home, 742 days after he was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz,” the family said in a statement quoted by The Times of Israel. “We will not stop or rest until the last of the hostages is returned for burial in Israel.”

The Hostage Families Forum added that while Margalit’s return brought some measure of solace, “their hearts will never be whole again.”

With the repatriation of Margalit’s body, The Times of Israel reported that 18 bodies of slain Israeli captives remain in Hamas custody, down from 28 at the start of the current ceasefire. Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately withholding some remains, while the terror group claims it cannot locate all the bodies due to widespread destruction in Gaza.

Hamas stated that the body handed over Friday had only been retrieved that same day. Footage circulating online showed Hamas members excavating in Khan Younis using heavy machinery in search of remains.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, cited by The Times of Israel, extended condolences to the Margalit family, saying the government “shares in the deep sorrow” of all families of fallen hostages and remains “determined and committed to bring every one of them home.”

IDF officials reiterated that Hamas must fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement and return all remaining hostages’ bodies for proper burial.

Margalit, remembered as a pillar of Kibbutz Nir Oz, is survived by his wife, Daphna, and children Noa, Danny, and Nili, as well as three grandchildren. Friends and colleagues, including journalist Sivan Klingbail and Gilad Sharon, son of late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, described him as a hardworking and kindhearted man deeply devoted to his animals and his community.

As The Times of Israel noted, Margalit’s return marks a moment of bittersweet closure for his loved ones — an end to uncertainty but a reminder of the many who have yet to come home.