A 21-year-old American-Israel soldier was confirmed dead following Saturday's tragic massacre in which over 900 Israelis were killed by Hamas. However, his family was unable to locate his body, till Tuesday evening, when the IDF confirmed his identification. The family is hoping to hold the funeral on Wednesday morning.
Staff Sergeant Roey Weiser, originally from Efrat in Gush Etzion, served in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
In an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Weiser's father, Yami, stated, "My son Roey fell defending the southern border as a hero. We were informed of his demise by the IDF on Sunday afternoon. Yet, we've had no subsequent news regarding the retrieval of his body for burial. Our sole wish is to lay Roey to eternal rest and grieve properly." He implored fellow Israelis to share his plea in hopes that it might reach someone able to assist the family.
A relative, in conversation with The Jerusalem Post, mentioned, "Roey's bravery shone when he attempted to divert the terrorists during the early stages of the battle, saving at least 12 fellow soldiers."
Family had received information about a burial
This same family member stated that they had initially received information from the army regarding a burial scheduled for Monday, 10:00 a.m., in the Efrat cemetery. "Several individuals even arrived at the cemetery, but no funeral took place," they recounted to the Post.
"This episode is unfortunate, but compounded the family's tragedy and led to greater suffering among relatives and friends. I hope that lessons will be learned and the relevant authorities will add significant manpower to be able to better deal with these type of circumstances in the future. Our soldiers, our heroes, deserve to know that at the very least they will be afforded a quick and easy burial, according to Jewish law."
A previous version of this article on Tuesday afternoon stated that Weiser's body hasn't been identified.