Credit: Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet)
On Wednesday, 24 July, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the bodies of five Jewish hostages seized by the Hamas terrorists in the October 7 Massacre.
The body of Luso-Israeli Ravid Katz numbers among those retrieved in this daring operation in Khan Younis, on the Gaza Strip. Katz was a member of the security team at Kibbutz Nir Oz and died fighting the terrorists during the massacre. His body was taken to Gaza and his death was confirmed on 28 November.
Katz leaves a wife and baby. Ravid Katz’s sister and nieces, who were also taken by Hamas, were released alive in an agreement reached on 24 November between Israel and the terrorist group.
The other bodies retrieved were those of Sergeant Kiril Brodski, 19, Sergeant Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, Oren Goldin, 33, and Maya Goren, 56.
In a statement, Israeli president Isaac Herzog said: “It is our duty to bring them all home— those who are alive, and those who we must return for burial in Israel”.
As ascertained by JNS, Israeli authorities estimate that 111 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 39 who have been confirmed dead by the IDF.
