The remains of Guy Illouz, 26, from Tel Aviv, and Bipin Joshi, 24, from Nepal, were identified Tuesday at Israel’s National Center of Forensic Medicine, the IDF announced. Two additional hostages’ bodies were also confirmed, but have not yet been publicly named at the families’ request.
According to the IDF, Illouz died from his wounds in Hamas captivity after being kidnapped alive from the Nova music festival on October 7. Witness testimony from released hostages indicated that he succumbed to his injuries at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital after receiving no medical treatment.
Illouz, a sound technician for the Israeli rock band HaYehudim, also worked with prominent artists such as Matti Caspi and Shalom Hanoch. Lead singer Tom Petrover mourned him, saying: “Our Guy—so talented, sweet, and extraordinary. The kind of person you fall in love with immediately, with a huge smile that fills your heart with joy.”
Guy’s father, Michel Illouz, who became a prominent voice in the campaign for the hostages’ release, once played his son’s final phone call during a rally. “People ask how I keep living,” he said. “I live in chaos. But make no mistake—I won’t break, and I won’t give up.”
Footage of Bipin Joshi, a month after his abduction
(Video: IDF)
Bipin Joshi, a 24-year-old Nepalese agricultural student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim, where he had been studying for less than a month. During the initial Hamas assault, he and several friends hid in a shelter. When terrorists threw in a grenade, Bipin managed to toss it out, saving others before another explosion left him unconscious. He was then taken to Gaza with several Thai workers.
The IDF said it believes Joshi was murdered in captivity within the first few months after the attack. “The final conclusions will be determined after a full forensic review,” the army said. Bipin’s family in Nepal recently shared a video filmed in Gaza in November 2023, showing him alive and identifying himself. His friends said his dream was to return home to help develop Nepal’s agricultural sector.
Only four bodies returned instead of 28
Hamas handed over only four bodies of hostages on Monday, a major violation of the current agreement. Israeli officials said they were stunned by the move and do not believe Hamas’s claim that it does not know the locations of other bodies.
The Health Ministry confirmed around 10:30 p.m. that the four coffins had arrived for examination and identification. As the convoy carrying the bodies crossed from Gaza, dozens of residents of the Eshkol Regional Council gathered at Gama Junction to honor the fallen.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said efforts continue “at every level” to pressure Hamas to comply with the deal. “We don’t forget them for a moment,” he said. “We won’t rest until every one of them is brought home to their families and laid to rest in Israel.”
When the agreement was signed, officials already anticipated Hamas might fail to return all 28 bodies within the 72-hour window, but Israel expected at least 19. The announcement of only four stunned the Hostages’ Families Forum, which called the move “a blatant and shocking violation by Hamas” and urged the government and mediators “to correct this injustice immediately.”
First published: 12:03, 10.14.25