The funeral of rescued hostage Ofra Keidar, 70, was held Thursday at the cemetery in Kibbutz Be’eri. Keidar, a longtime resident of the kibbutz, was murdered on October 7 during the Hamas massacre, and her body was abducted to Gaza. She was killed while on her usual morning walk near her home.
Her husband, Sami, also was murdered in their house, and his caregiver was wounded. She is survived by her three children—Elad, Oren and Yael—and several grandchildren.
Keidar’s body was recovered from Gaza during a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation earlier this week, alongside the remains of hostages Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shai Levinson and Jonathan Samerano. “We are in deep pain, but we also feel relief that we can finally bury Ofra in the soil of Be’eri, the land she so loved,” the family said after her return. “The return of all the hostages is a moral obligation. We pray that all families will be able to close this circle of terror—some with recovery, others through burial.”
On the morning of the attack, Keidar managed to speak by phone with her son Elad, telling him there was gunfire all around her. Two months later, her family received official confirmation of her murder. Speaking at the funeral, Elad said: “A huge void opened in our lives on October 7. Two months later, we were told you’d been murdered during that call. Over time, we felt some relief knowing you didn’t suffer.”
“After we were informed your body had been returned from Gaza, I couldn’t stop replaying that last phone call—watching the footage, thinking about the situation we were in, and the moment you faced the terrorists. I started analyzing it all from every angle, trying to understand every detail. I need those answers to close my own personal circle. I truly hope every hostage family gets to do the same.”
Yael, Keidar’s daughter, also delivered an emotional eulogy: “I want to tell you that I survived. I’m alive. I’m heartbroken that you’re gone. We weren’t just mother and daughter—we were friends. I miss your hugs and carry your values forward. I want you to know there are good people who are with me and love me. My dear brothers, Elad and Oren, are always by my side, even when it’s hard. I want to thank all the soldiers who brought you home. May your memory be a blessing. I love you and will remember you forever.”
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President Isaac Herzog also spoke at the funeral, declaring: “The entire State of Israel has a sacred duty: to never forget our brothers and sisters still suffering in Gaza’s tunnels. We must bring them home—every one of them, the living and the dead.”
“I call on the prime minister and all decision-makers: this is a pivotal moment. After the successes of Operation Rising Lion, we must take another step—and another—and bring them home. Send the teams, the senior officials, to Qatar, Cairo, wherever needed. Speak with whoever needs to be spoken to. Act with resolve, creativity and urgency—by every means, until they are back with us.”
Standing at the graveside, Herzog added: “As president of the State of Israel, on behalf of the nation, I ask your forgiveness. Forgive us for not protecting you on that cursed day. Forgive us for failing to rescue so many—more than 100 members of Be’eri—from the hands of the Hamas murderers. Forgive us for taking so long, for leaving you to face your fate alone—so few, against so many, and so cruel.”