The body of Eliyahu (Churchill) Margalit was returned to Israel on Saturday night from the Hamas terrorist organization, as part of the agreement to return the hostages and end the war.
An IDF and Shin Bet force received the coffin from the Red Cross and crossed the border into Israeli territory.
The coffin was received in Israel under military status and then transferred for identification at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir. At the end of the identification process, an official announcement was made to the family.
Churchill, 75, was married to Dafna, father of Noa, Dani, and Nili, and grandfather of three. He was known for his great love of animals, nature, and the kibbutz, and for many years he managed the cattle industry diligently and devotedly. He especially loved his horses and taught many generations of kibbutz children to ride. Over the years, he would go on riding trips with his friends, with whom he had ridden for over 50 years in the "Riders of the South" group, throughout the country and around the world.
The statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz reads: "We will always remember him as a kind-hearted man, whose family, the kibbutz, nature and animals filled his world.".
On the morning of October 7, he left his home to check on the welfare of his mares, where he was murdered by criminals and kidnapped to Gaza. His daughter, Nili, was also kidnapped to Gaza and released after 55 days in Hamas captivity.
According to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Margalit was murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to the Gaza Strip, and his death was determined on 12/01/23.
The Margalit family said: "The Margalit family announces with deep sorrow the return of our beloved Eli (Churchill) Margalit home, 742 days after he was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. We thank the people of Israel and the families of the abductees for their support in the long struggle for his return. We promise that we will not stop or rest until the last of the abductees is returned to the grave of Israel. We ask that our privacy be respected at this time.".
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