The body of Itzik Gelernter was recovered by IDF soldiers, the IDF announced on Friday.
Gelernter leaves behind his four children, Yarden, Asaf, Omer and Ilay, and grandchildren Mia and Roni, according to the American Zionist Movement’s One Seat project.
The group stated that “ Itzik is an amazing grandfather, who takes his grandchildren to play in the park, who climbs and plays in the playground, who eats bubblegum ice cream, the flavor that he and Mia like most. He has a young soul.”
Gelernter's body was recovered alongside Shani Louk's and Amit Buskila's.
The family of 57-year-old Gelernter was "in total darkness" about his fate until Friday, his daughter, Yarden Pivko, told Channel 12 News.
"We held on to hope and had a lot of faith that the end would be different," she said.
Where was Gelernter abducted from?
Gelernter was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Super Nova rave in southern Israel, arriving only a few hours before the October 7 attacks began, Gelernter’s daughter Yarden Pivko told multiple media outlets.
Gelernter’s phone was found in Gaza a few days after the attacks, leading IDF officials to the conclusion that he had been abducted.
Three of the four friends attending the festival with Gelernter were murdered on October 7, Pivko said.