In the shadow of waiting for the return of the 28 martyrs from Hamas: Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, revealed in a special interview conducted with Prof. Yuval Elbashan and Moriah Kor on Channel 2 the dramatic preparations for their absorption.
In a candid and painful conversation, he described the complex mechanisms that operate behind the scenes to pay final respects to the victims and support their grieving families.
""We are preparing to receive between one and 28 spaces," says Avidan - and clarifies that despite expectations, no one knows what the final number will be.
He notes that the readiness is "as we were throughout the war," with maximum understanding and sensitivity.
Avidan explained that the process of receiving the bodies is not simple and full of risks. "We don't trust them with anything," he emphasized.
He said that in previous cases, grenades and explosives were found on bodies. Therefore, before any identification procedure, the bodies undergo a thorough examination.
Initial identification is carried out by the Red Cross across the Red Line, after which the bodies are transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir. "That's where the entire complex identification process begins," Avidan explained, which includes intelligence files on all the fallen.
He noted that most of the 28 have already been declared martyrs by a special committee established for the first time in Israel, headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. "There is no chance of error," he emphasizes, adding that the committee acted based only on solid evidence, also to allow widows to remarry.
Avidan revealed a particularly difficult and emotional process: Some families have already sat "seven" on the basis of the announcement of the death of their loved ones, and some have even buried symbolic objects in designated places.
Now, when the bodies arrive, the families will have to deal with another funeral. "We give them the arrangements, and for each family we do a new funeral," he said, the goal being to allow families to pay their last respects to their loved ones.
The ministry, in cooperation with the IDF, the police and other entities, is in constant contact with the families and tries to fulfill any of their wishes regarding the type of burial or farewell ceremonies. "We ultimately try to give the family back what it deserves.".
Towards the end of the interview, Avidan was asked what scares him most about the process. He didn't hesitate for a moment and answered honestly: "Ron Arad.".
His fear is that the enemy will claim that some of the bodies have not been found, which could leave the families in limbo. "That's the scariest thing," he said, expressing deep hope that everyone will return safely and that this war will end as soon as possible.
Avidan concluded his remarks with a message of hope and peace: "May we only hear good news. Let us not get involved in such things.".
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
