South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met in Pretoria on Monday with Rabbi Doron Perez and his wife, Shelley, the parents of slain Israel Defense Forces Capt. Daniel Perez, following what was described by the presidential office as “the intervention of the South African government in facilitating the release of his remains by Hamas.” It did not elaborate.
Rabbi Perez confirmed the South African government’s role, saying that he and his wife met Ramaphosa in his office to express their “heartfelt gratitude” for the government’s behind-the-scenes efforts.
“Without the direct intervention of the president and the S.A. government, our son’s body would in all likelihood have come back months later, causing us additional pain and suffering,” Perez wrote on Instagram.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in a statement, “President Ramaphosa expresses his condolences to the Perez family and affirms South Africa’s support for an all-inclusive peace process that will deliver a lasting peace for the people of Israel and Palestine.”
He added, “The South African government remains engaged in assisting all South Africans, irrespective of race or religion, that are ensnared in conflict zones, as well as assisting other foreign nationals where such support is requested.”
Daniel Perez, 22, was born in Johannesburg and grew up in the Glenhazel neighborhood, where his father, Rabbi Doron Perez, served as a community rabbi and educator. The family moved to Israel in 2014, shortly after Daniel’s bar mitzvah, and settled in Yad Binyamin in central Israel, where his parents continue to live.
The Perez family has three other children: Yonatan, Adina and Shira. Daniel was their second-oldest child. His older brother, Yonatan, also served as an IDF officer and was wounded fighting Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. He went ahead with his planned wedding shortly afterward while Daniel was still listed as missing, and later named his firstborn son after his brother.
Daniel served as a platoon commander in the 77th Battalion of the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade. On Oct. 7, he and his tank crew fought Hamas terrorists for more than two hours in defense of the Nahal Oz military post and nearby communities before their tank was overrun.
Daniel was initially classified as a hostage, and for 163 days his family believed that he might still be alive, campaigning in Israel and abroad for his release. On March 17, 2024, the IDF informed the family that evidence established that he had been killed on Oct. 7 and that his body was being held by Hamas in Gaza.
The following day, the family held a funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, burying Daniel’s bloodstained uniform after the IDF’s chief rabbi determined that there was sufficient evidence of his death.
His remains were returned to Israel by Hamas on Oct. 13, 2025, more than two years after the attack. A second funeral was held at Mount Herzl two days later.
Rabbi Perez served the South African Jewish community for 15 years before returning to Israel. He currently serves as executive chairman of the World Mizrachi movement and president of the World Zionist Organization.
The meeting and South African intervention came despite sharply strained relations between Pretoria and Jerusalem since the Oct. 7 attacks. In December 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing the Jewish state of violating the Genocide Convention in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has vehemently rejected the allegations.
South Africa has also backed international legal action against Israeli leaders and has been one of Israel’s most vocal critics over the Gaza war. The ICC separately issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegations Israel rejects.
