The body of Idan Shtavi, 29, from Kibbutz Ein Hayam, the kidnapped victim who was murdered on October 7, was returned along with the body of Ilan Weiss, 29, in the special operation by the IDF and Shin Bet in the Gaza Strip.
The official announcement comes after the Institute of Forensic Medicine identified the body.
There are currently 48 hostages being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive.
The information about the location of Idan's body came from the Shin Bet's interrogation of Hamas terrorists captured in the Gaza Strip.
He left behind his parents, three siblings and a partner.
Idan Hayd was murdered and kidnapped after spending time at the Nuba party in Re'im. About ten minutes after the red-light alarms went off, he called his partner and told her that he was leaving the party area towards his home. Idan gathered two friends and drove north in a car, where they encountered gunfire from terrorists, so they turned south. During this trip, his car was attacked by Hamas. A few days later, the bodies of his two friends, whom he had tried to save, were found, but Idan was declared missing.
On January 4, an IDF spokesman informed his family that he had been kidnapped in the Gaza Strip.
His father Eli said in an interview with Reshet B: "We treated Idan as a kidnapper from the beginning and we knew that he was kidnapped and injured. My son and I conducted an independent investigation and we went into the field in the first few days. We passed the information we found to the army.".
On October 7, exactly one year after his kidnapping, the family was informed that Idan had been murdered about a year ago, on the morning of Black Sabbath, and that his body was being held in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this evening: "In the special operation carried out by the IDF and Shin Bet in the Gaza Strip, the body of the late Idan Shetvi was returned. After completing the identification process at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, it was permitted to announce this evening that he had been returned to Israel.".
""Idan was a talented student of sustainability and governance and a brave man: On October 7, 2023, he participated in the Nuba party, and when the terrorist attack began, he acted to escape and save many party participants. In the process, he was murdered and his body was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization to Gaza.
""Together with the entire people of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the Shetvi family.
""I reiterate my appreciation to the IDF and the Shin Bet for their determined and bold action.
""So far, 207 abductees have been returned to Israel, 148 of them alive. We will continue to work tirelessly in various ways and with determination to return all of our abductees - both living and dead.".
Defense Minister Israel Katz: "I send my deepest condolences to the family of the late Idan Shetvi, who was murdered and kidnapped by Hamas murderers at the Nuwa party on October 7, and his body was returned to Israel in a special operation by the IDF and Shin Bet.".
""On the morning of October 7, the late Idan acted with supreme heroism and saved travelers he had never met before, by helping them escape the inferno. I know his father, Eli, closely, who accompanied me during my tenure as Foreign Minister in many meetings with world leaders and worked with dedication and inexhaustible courage to return the kidnapped. My heart goes out to him and his family.".
""I would like to express deep appreciation to our heroic fighters who are constantly continuing their efforts to return all the kidnapped - and emphasize: The State of Israel is committed to returning home all the kidnapped, both living and dead. May the memory of Idan Baruch be blessed.".
The IDF reported: In a complex IDF operation conducted under the joint direction of the Intelligence and Security Service (ISB) headquarters, the body of the abductee Idan Shetvi, along with the body of the abductee Ilan Weiss, was recovered from the Gaza Strip.
The complex rescue operation was carried out by IDF forces in the Southern Command, in conjunction with Military Intelligence and Special Forces. The operation was made possible thanks to accurate intelligence from the Defense Intelligence Command, the Intelligence Division, and the Shin Bet.
The late Idan Shetvi was kidnapped from the Tel Gama area and brutally murdered by terrorists from the Hamas terrorist organization, after he acted to escape and save others from the Nuwa party on October 7. He was 28 years old at the time of his death.
After an identification procedure carried out at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police's Special Investigation Unit and the Military Rabbinate, the abductees' team in the Human Resources Division delivered the message to his family.
The IDF, Shin Bet, and the Israel Police share in the families' grief and will continue to make every effort to return all of the abductees.
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