Noga Weiss, 20, who survived Hamas captivity in Gaza and daughter of murdered hostage Ilan Weiss, who was returned to Israel on Thursday, posted a message on Instagram thanking security forces for her father’s rescue while calling for the release of the remaining hostages in a safe exchange.
“On behalf of our entire family, a huge thank you to the security forces who brought our father home after 692 days,” Weiss wrote. “We are hoping and praying for the return of all hostages in a single deal that will not endanger the hostages or the soldiers—now.”
1 View gallery
The mother and daughter were returned alive; the father was killed on October 7. Noga, Shiri, and Ilan Weiss
(מתוך )
Ilan Weiss, 55, a resident of Be'eri, was killed on the morning of October 7, 2023. As news broke of the death of the kibbutz security officer, Eric, in the opening minutes of the Hamas terror attack, Weiss went to open the armory—and never returned. For three months, his family had no information on his fate until January 2024, when it was confirmed he had been killed that morning and kidnapped. His wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were also abducted and released after 50 days in a hostage exchange.
Two weeks ago, Weiss spoke at a demonstration in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, saying, “That Saturday, when my father left the safe room at 7:15 a.m., I asked him to stay safe. He told my mother and me not to worry, that he’d be back in a few minutes. It has now been 680 days, and he still hasn’t returned. When he comes back, it will be to say goodbye forever, to be buried in the place he loved.”
She added, “Our ending will not be easy, but we deserve closure. We are waiting to complete this circle, to have a place to go and feel our father. Even the right to mourn must be fought for. Reality is broken, but we will not give up. We will not give up the values of our country, ourselves, or each other. My father saved us. Now it’s our turn to save him.”