The body of Itai Svirsky, who was taken hostage on October 7 from Kibbutz Be'eri, was recovered by the IDF in a joint operation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the military announced on Wednesday. There are 100 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, 14 months after they were kidnapped.
“Itai, a member of Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He was tragically killed in captivity, and his body was held in Gaza,” said the statement.“As part of the operation, the Kidnapped and Missing Persons team in the IDF Human Resources Division, responsible for supporting the families of the kidnapped, worked closely with the Institute for Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police to identify his remains,” it continued.The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said, “Returning Itai’s body for proper burial in Israel provides crucial closure for his family. However, families are still waiting for their loved ones after 425 days in captivity. Many hostages remain alive but in grave danger, requiring immediate release for urgent medical care and rehabilitation. The others must be returned for a dignified burial. The time has come to bring all 100 hostages home.”The agency and military informed the Svirsky family of the developments on Wednesday and extended “their deepest condolences to the family” and will “continue to work tirelessly to bring all the kidnapped home.”
Svirsky's death
On January 15, Hamas announced in a video that Itai Svirsky, 38, had been killed in an IDF airstrike. He was held hostage with Yossi Sharabi, who was killed in captivity, and Noa Argamani, who was rescued in June.In a video released at the time by Hamas, Argamani announced their deaths.“I was located in a building,” Argamani said in the Hamas video. “It was bombed by an IDF airstrike, an F16 fighter jet.Three rockets were fired. Two of the rockets exploded, and the other did not. We were in the building with Al-Qassam soldiers and three hostages: me - Noa Argamani - Itai Svirsky, and Yosef Sharabi.
“After the building we were in was hit, we were all buried under rubble. Al-Qassam soldiers saved my life and Itai’s. Unfortunately, we were not able to save Yossi’s.“After many days… two nights, Itai and I were relocated to another place. While we were being transported, Itai was hit by an IDF airstrike. He did not survive.”Argamani commemorated Svirsky in a post to Instagram on Wednesday, soon after the news broke: “Dear Itai, during our shared stay in captivity, we imagined thousands of situations together, how we would return to Israel together, how we would meet for coffee after everything was over and laugh about it all. We never thought for a moment that you would return to Israel like this, as a corpse.“Thank you for every moment of our shared time together. You were my friend; you were my big brother in this dark place. You taught me so many things that I will take with me no matter where I go. Now, you will receive a proper burial in Israel. Rest in peace,” Argamani wrote.The IDF’s position is that Svirsky was shot and murdered by Hamas in captivity. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 during Hamas’s rampage through the southern Israeli community. At the time, the 38-year-old had been staying with his mother, Orit, 70.He and his mother had been hiding under blankets in the safe room when the terrorists stormed in and sprayed the room with bullets, killing Orit.Itai’s father, Rafi, 71, was also murdered, along with his three golden retrievers.
Sam Halpern and Noa Feigenbaum contributed to this report.