Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday eulogized the four hostages whose remains were returned from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday.
“Our hearts ache upon receiving the bitter news of the identification of Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat, and Shlomo Mantzur,” he tweeted. “There is some solace in knowing that they will be laid to rest in dignity in Israel.”
The president noted that Yahalomi was a “man of the land and a devoted family man, a lover of Israel who dedicated himself to preserving its landscapes through his work with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.”
Yahalomi was kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre along with his son, Eitan, who was released during the November 2023 Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Palestinian terrorists also attempted to abduct Yahalomi’s wife, Bat-Sheva, and his daughters, but they managed to escape.
Herzog hailed Elgarat as a devoted father of two and a beloved uncle to his nieces and nephews, who “embraced life to the fullest and was especially cherished by the members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, with whom he loved playing backgammon.” Elgarat was also a passionate soccer fan and a dedicated supporter of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Israeli leader praised Idan as “a loving husband to his courageous wife Gali, and a devoted father to Sharon, Yael, Shachar, and Maayan—a wonderful young girl who was brutally murdered in their home before her family’s eyes by terrorists who barbarically broadcasted the horrific moments of her murder.”
Mansour, said Herzog, came from a “proud Zionist” family that immigrated from Iraq after surviving the Farhud pogrom against the Jews of Baghdad. Together with his wife, Mazal, he raised five children and 12 grandchildren. “A skilled craftsman, his artistic woodwork in the carpentry shop of Kibbutz Kissufim channeled the beauty of the kibbutz and the western Negev, a region he loved so dearly,” said Herzog.
“Together with the entire nation, we share in the immense grief and sorrow of the bereaved families and the kibbutz communities of Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, and Kissufim,” wrote Herzog.
“The return of our brothers’ bodies from captivity underscores our moral obligation to do everything in our power to bring back all the hostages—the living to their loving families, and the fallen to be late to rest. Until the last one is home! They are all humanitarian cases, and they must all be returned,” he continued.
“May their memory be a blessing.”