The Israeli army says troops have retrieved the body of hostage Ron Benjamin from the war-torn Gaza Strip after he was “murdered” during the October 7 Hamas attack.
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday local time said Mr Benjamin’s body was recovered in the same operation that saw troops retrieve the remains of three other hostages, which was announced on Friday.
Mr Benjamin was “murdered during the October 7th massacre at the Mefalsim intersection, and his body was abducted to Gaza by Hamas militants”, the military said in a separate statement.
Identification was carried out on Mr Benjamin’s body and his family have been informed, according to the statement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Mr Benjamin, 53, was a “family man” and a father of two, who loved cycling, travelling and music.
“He used to go out for a ride every Saturday, just as he did on that fateful Saturday when he was taken hostage from the Kibbutz Be’eri area while on a cycling trip,” it said in a statement on X.
Mr Benjamin’s body was recovered along with Yitzhak Gelerenter, Shani Louk, and Amit Buskila, based on “precise intelligence obtained during the interrogations of terrorists who were apprehended in the Gaza Strip”, according to Israeli military.
The military said on Friday troops had recovered the bodies of Ms Louk, Ms Buskila and Mr Gelerenter from Gaza after they were taken hostage during the attack on the Nova music festival.
Thousands of young people had gathered on October 6 and 7 to dance to electronic music at the event held near Re’im kibbutz close to the Gaza border.
Fighters from Hamas crossed over from Gaza and killed more than 360 people at the festival, Israeli officials have said.
Hamas-led gunmen killed some 1,200 people and abducted 253 in their attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies.
Around half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a week-long cease-fire in November.
Israel says more than 130 hostages remain in Gaza, including women and children.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data provided by the territory’s health ministry.
About 2.2 million Palestinians are suffering from chronic food shortages and are in urgent need of shelter and other humanitarian assistance, the UN says.
Trucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip rolled across a newly built US pier and into the besieged enclave for the first time on Friday, as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and heavy fighting hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.
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‘Hostage returning in body bags’
On Saturday, campaign group The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on the Israeli authorities to strike a deal with Hamas to bring back the remaining hostages.
“Those alive should be returned for rehabilitation, and those murdered should be brought back for a dignified burial, as was made possible for Ron Benjamin this evening,” the group said in a statement.
Later on Saturday, thousands of protesters rallied in Tel Aviv calling on the authorities to bring the remaining hostages back home.
The rally was also attended by US ambassador to Israel Jack Lew and some other international envoys.
The protesters included relatives of several hostages still being held, an AFP correspondent reported.
“As days go, we see more and more hostages are returning in body bags and more soldiers are being killed in Gaza,” said Yotam Cohen, whose brother Nimrod is captive in Gaza.
“We want to stop the bloodshed.”
Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of hostage Avraham Munder, said: “This war should not have started. This war is a war of revenge.”
“It is endangering not only the people of Gaza but also the hostages.”
Addressing the rally, Mr Lew reiterated Washington’s commitment to help secure the hostages’ release.
“We will not stop working until you are reunited with your loved ones. The United States continues to press ahead mediation efforts to bring the hostages home,” he said.
“Hamas must release the hostages so this crisis can end, and we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.”
ABC/AFP