Ohad Yahalomi, who was murdered while being held hostage in Gaza, was laid to rest Wednesday, nearly a week after his body was returned to Israel as part of a hostage deal with Hamas. Yahalomi was buried at the cemetery in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived and from where he was abducted on October 7. His funeral procession started at the Great Synagogue plaza in Rishon Lezion, where hundreds gathered with Israeli flags to support his family.
Yahalomi’s mother, Esti, who fought tirelessly for her son’s return, spoke through tears at the funeral’s outset: "There are no words to describe what we are feeling in this moment. They took my diamond and did what they wanted with him because he was wounded. If he hadn’t been injured, he would have shown them what he was made of."
The procession began after prayers and eulogies, with Yahalomi’s casket transported slowly through Rishon Lezion as mourners walked behind it. The song Habayta ("Home"), which his mother sang to him daily while he was in captivity, played in the background. When the song ended, the crowd began singing Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.
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Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich, who attended to support the family, described Esti as a mother who "fought like a lioness to bring her son home," singing to him every morning and holding onto hope until the very last moment. "How heartbreaking that she is now accompanying him to his grave in Nir Oz," he said.
During the October 7 attack, 50-year-old Yahalomi sheltered in a safe room at his home in Nir Oz with his wife, Bat Sheva, and their three children. When the door failed to lock, he stepped outside to secure it and protect his family.
Gunmen then stormed the house, shooting and injuring Yahalomi before abducting him. His wife and daughters were taken on one motorcycle, while his 12-year-old son, Eitan, was taken on another. Later, Yahalomi, wounded, was also taken into Gaza.
Near the border, the terrorist transporting Bat Sheva and her daughters lost control of the motorcycle, allowing them to escape. However, Eitan and Ohad were taken into captivity. After 52 days—16 of them spent in solitary confinement—Eitan was released in the first hostage deal in November 2023.
After 510 days in captivity, Yahalomi’s body was returned last week along with those of Itzik Elgarat, Tzachi Idan, and Shlomo Mansour, all of whom were abducted alive and later murdered in captivity.