Ilan Weiss, previously reported missing since the brutal attacks orchestrated by Hamas on October 7, has been confirmed as a casualty during the assault on Kibbutz Be’eri, as declared by the kibbutz administration on Monday.
Weiss, aged 56, departed from his residence on the morning of October 7 to join the kibbutz emergency response team, with no communication from him reported after 7:15 a.m. on that fateful day. His wife, Shiri, 53, and daughter, Noga, 18, were apprehended and held hostage in Gaza. Both were released on November 25 as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.
The grim revelation of Ilan Weiss’s demise was shared by the kibbutz in collaboration with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, established to provide support to affected families. The kibbutz expressed its condolences, stating, “The kibbutz community bows its head and sympathizes with the family’s unbearable pain.”
Describing Weiss as “a family man and a devoted father to his daughters,” the joint statement highlighted his well-respected status within the community, emphasizing his love for it.
Kibbutz Be’eri, situated near the Gaza border, requested acknowledgment of Weiss as a fallen soldier in combat due to his role as the deputy commander of the kibbutz defense team. He had undertaken the responsibility of opening the armory to distribute weapons to the standby squad, engaged in protecting the residents and homes of the kibbutz.
The Forensic Medicine Institute’s examination confirmed Weiss’s death, determining that he was murdered on October 7. The statement did not clarify whether his remains had been recovered, and the fate of some victims’ bodies, abducted by the terrorists, remained uncertain.
On October 7, Hamas led a surge of around three thousand terrorists across the border from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, resulting in the death of over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Kibbutz Be’eri bore a significant brunt of the attacks, with at least 240 people taken hostage to Gaza.
During the intrusion into the Weiss home, Noga, Ilan’s daughter, sought refuge under the bed in the safe room, witnessing the abduction of her mother. As the house was set on fire, Noga, prompted by her older sister, escaped through the safe room window to hide in a nearby bush.
Noga last communicated with her sister at 11:30 a.m. when she reported a terrorist approaching her hiding spot. This marked the final contact until her eventual release from captivity. Noga’s sisters, Meytal, 23, and Maayan, 26, concealed themselves in their respective student apartments in Be’eri, enduring nearly 12 hours in safe rooms until rescued by Israeli soldiers.
{Matzav.com Israel}
