Israel has officially confirmed the identification of the 10th deceased hostage, Eliyahu Margalit, aged 76, who was taken by Hamas during an attack on October 7 in Israel. Margalit, affectionately known as Churchill to his loved ones, was working at horse stables in Kibbutz Nir Oz before being abducted and transferred to Gaza by Hamas. The Israeli prime minister’s office announced the positive identification of Margalit’s remains through forensic testing and has contacted his family.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel described Eliyahu as a dedicated worker with a passion for cowboy life, having spent years at cattle branches and horse stables in Nir Oz. His demise was made public in December 2023, a month after his daughter Nili, who was also held captive by Hamas, was released.
As part of a fragile peace agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the devastating bombings in Gaza, a significant hostage exchange took place. Hamas surrendered the remaining 20 living hostages to the Red Cross for repatriation to Israel. In addition, 28 deceased hostages’ bodies, including four returned on Monday, were handed back to Israel as per the peace terms. Search operations, including the deployment of bulldozers, are ongoing to locate more bodies in the rubble-strewn Gaza following the relentless Israeli bombings since October 7.
Eliyahu Margalit’s remains mark the 10th return since the recent pause in hostilities. However, the remains of 18 other hostages are still pending repatriation, prompting Israel to reduce aid deliveries to Gaza due to non-compliance by Hamas. Recent controversy arose when Israel revealed that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas did not match any of the hostages after forensic examinations.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu urged Hamas to adhere to the ceasefire conditions, brokered by former US President Donald Trump, regarding the return of hostages’ bodies. Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s unwavering commitment to retrieving all deceased hostages. Hamas, on the other hand, blamed Israel for complicating the recovery of bodies under the rubble. As part of the truce agreement, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.