Slain Israeli hostages Cooper and Baruch laid to rest

Slain Israeli hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch were laid to rest on Sunday, days after their remains were returned from Gaza and positively identified.

Cooper, whom Hamas terrorists kidnapped alive from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived, on Oct. 7, 2023, was killed in captivity at age 84. Baruch was abducted alive from his Kibbutz Be’eri home on Oct. 7, and killed in captivity on Dec. 8, 2023. He was 25.

Captivity survivor Nurit Cooper, Amiram’s wife, spoke at his memorial service in Nir Oz.

“I arrived at Nir Oz at age 18 as a member of the Tzabar core group. Even before I met Cooper, I had heard about a young man in the Nir Oz group who wrote poetry and whistled melodies,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum quoted her as saying.

“Writing about Cooper in the past tense feels incredibly strange to me. Cooper was an exemplary husband and a warm, loving father to his children and grandchildren. We lived a full and good life in Nir Oz, always together, inseparable. Even in the tunnels, we were together. We shared the same mattress and the meager food we received, hoping to return home alive. This is a tremendous loss for all of us. Life without him is lonely. I miss you so much and I long for you,” she continued.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also attended the funeral, apologizing on behalf of the government.

“I stand here today with my head bowed to ask of you, Amiram, forgiveness. I’m sorry, Amiram, that we didn’t manage to rescue you in time from the jaws of captivity. Sorry that it took us far too long to bring you back to the landscape of your homeland. Sorry that you were captured while still alive, and that you return to us only to be buried in the ground,” he said.

He also apologized to the Nir Oz community for failing to protect them during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led massacre.

“I’m sorry that we weren’t here in a time of danger, sorry that in the face of human monsters, you stood with bare hands to protect yourselves and your home,” Herzog remarked.

In addition to his wife, Amiram leaves behind four children and 11 grandchildren.

Baruch’s mother Tami and other relatives spoke at his funeral at the Be’eri cemetery, which was attended by hundreds of mourners.

He was buried next to his brother, Idan Baruch, 20, an off-duty IDF soldier who was killed by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack. Their grandmother, Geula, was killed separately in Be’eri during the massacre.

“My dear Sahar, you have finally been brought home, 758 days since Oct. 7, and you are being laid to rest,” said Tami.

“I don’t know what you know, so I’ll share with you here. On the day of the terrible pogrom in Be’eri and the surrounding communities, approximately 1,179 civilians were murdered, among them your brother Idan and your grandmother Geula,” she continued.

“On that horrific day, 251 people were kidnapped. Now, two years later, 11 hostages still remain in captivity, and only after all of them return will this terrible chapter in our lives be able to end, and a new chapter of attempting to rebuild our lives can begin.

“This severe trauma will always be engraved in our hearts. You were a hostage for far too long, and it became part of your identity. Before, you had many other identities: traveler, chess player, kayaker, scholar, steel guitarist and more.

“I had hoped you would have many new identities, like the electrical engineer you wanted to become, a partner, a father and so much more, but that will never happen now.

“We have many memories together, but not enough. I am deeply saddened that we won’t create new memories together. I’m saying goodbye to you here on the soil of Be’eri that you loved so much, right here where I used to sit on a rock while you and your brother rode sections of the dirt trail on your bikes again and again. Now you are close to us, to Idan, to Grandma Geula, and to so many others.”