Israel on Thursday night recovered the remains of hostage Meny (Menachem) Godard, who was murdered by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, and whose body was taken into the Gaza Strip.
Meny was 73 at the time of his murder and abduction from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri. His death was officially confirmed on Dec. 8, 2023. He is survived by four children and seven grandchildren. His wife, Ayelet Godard, was also killed during the attack on the kibbutz.
“The IDF expresses deep condolences to the families, continues to make every effort to return all the deceased hostages, and is prepared for the continued implementation of the [ceasefire] agreement,” the military said in a statement.
“Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to a dignified burial,” it added.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said earlier Thursday night that the Israel Defense Forces had received from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza a coffin believed to contain the remains of a hostage.
“Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the body of a fallen hostage that was transferred to IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) forces inside Gaza,” Jerusalem said.
After being handed over to Israeli troops, the remains were brought to Israel, where they were received in a military ceremony attended by the IDF chief rabbi.
The remains were then transferred to the Health Ministry’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir in Tel Aviv for identification.
“All the families of the fallen hostages have been informed, and in this difficult hour our hearts are with them,” the PMO statement continued.
“The effort to bring back our hostages continues uninterrupted and will not cease until the last hostage is returned,” it said.
Palestinian terrorists are still holding the bodies of three captives: two Israelis—Sgt. Ran Gvili and Dror Or—and a Thai citizen, Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was working in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage-release agreement that went into effect on Oct. 13, Hamas committed to returning for burial 28 bodies it was holding.
However, Hamas has slow-walked the return of the deceased hostages, reportedly to avoid its disarmament, which is slated to occur in the second phase of the deal with the deployment of international forces.
