The body of Ilan Weiss, abducted by Hamas on October 7, was recovered from the Gaza Strip in a joint military operation, the IDF announced Friday. Weiss, 55, was declared missing for three months before his death was confirmed in January 2024.
Weiss, deputy head of the emergency response team in Kibbutz Be’eri, was killed while responding to the Hamas assault and his body was taken into Gaza. His wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were also kidnapped in the attack and released as part of a hostage deal in November 2023.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation, carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet security service, also retrieved remains believed to belong to another fallen hostage, whose identity is still under investigation. The remains are being examined at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Families of both hostages have been notified.
“Together with all Israeli citizens, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and share in their deep sorrow,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Ilan Weiss, a hero of the corps, was a member of the Emergency Response Team of Kibbutz Be’eri. He was murdered on October 7, 2023, while defending the kibbutz, and his body was kidnapped... We will not rest or be silent until we bring all our captives home—both the living and the fallen alike.
The military said the complex operation was led by Southern Command in cooperation with Military Intelligence, the Shin Bet and special forces units, relying on precise intelligence provided by the Hostage Task Force. Identification was completed with support from the Israeli police.
Kibbutz Be’eri mourned Weiss, calling him a “modest and principled man,” deeply involved in community life and a devoted family man. “We hope there is some comfort in knowing that Ilan will be laid to rest in the soil of Be’eri, which he loved and died defending,” the community said in a statement. They also reiterated their opposition to endangering soldiers in rescue operations and urged the government to secure the release of all remaining hostages through a negotiated agreement.
President Isaac Herzog expressed condolences, praising Weiss for showing “courage and noble spirit when he fought the terrorists on that dark day,” as well as his wife and daughter for showing “extraordinary strength in their struggle for his return.” Herzog added that Israel “will not rest until every one of them is brought home, the living to the loving embrace of their families, and the fallen to be laid to rest in dignity. Every last one.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz called the recovery “a heroic operation led by the IDF and Shin Bet.” He noted that Weiss “bravely led the defense of the kibbutz and helped prevent an even greater disaster.” Katz said he sent “deep condolences to the Weiss family” and voiced “profound appreciation for the soldiers who risk their lives day and night to bring every hostage home, living and fallen alike.”
According to the IDF, 48 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
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Noga Weiss, center, on the day of her enlistment in the IDF, while her father was still being held in Gaza
(Photo: IDF)
Weiss' daughter, Noga, who was abducted on October 7 from Kibbutz Be'eri and released after 50 days as a hostage in Gaza with her mother, Shiri, enlisted in the IDF in May 2024 as a social welfare soldier. Noga's enlistment day came more than five months after she was released and about four months after the announcement that her father was murdered and his body held in Gaza.
"After a very tumultuous period, I feel that enlisting is the right thing for me. I always wanted to enlist and contribute to the country, and the army for me is a combination of processing what happened, a distraction, daily routine and mainly getting in touch with reality," Noga said during the enlistment ceremony.