Israeli security forces have recovered the body of Itay Svirsky, 38, after 425 days in Gaza. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, the same day his parents were killed in the Hamas attack. The recovery comes after confirmation of his death in January alongside fellow hostage Yossi Sharabi after 99 days in Hamas captivity.
Svirsky, from Tel Aviv, had visited Kibbutz Be'eri, where he grew up, on October 7 to see his divorced parents, who lived separately in the kibbutz and were both killed. Svirsky was with his mother,r Orit, 70, when terrorists entered her room. Both were hiding under a blanket when the terrorists opened fire, killing his mother and reportedly wounding Svirsky. At the same time, in another house in the kibbutz, his father, Rafi Svirsky, was killed. His grandmother, Aviva Sela, 97, one of Be'eri's founders, survived miraculously, but her caregiver Grace, who protected her, was killed.
His body was recovered in a sensitive operation, with details of the location and recovery method withheld to preserve operational security for future missions. In January, Hamas released a video showing Svirsky and Sharabi – both later killed in captivity – along with Noa Argamani, who was rescued from Gaza in June during "Operation Arnon."
Noa Argamani paid tribute to Svirsky, who was with her during their difficult captivity, in an Instagram story posted in July. "You were by my side throughout the journey, and I by yours. You were my friend, my conversation partner, and the big brother I never had. You taught me about the complexity of the soul and how each of us deals with things differently, that there's no wrong way, each person has their path. I thank you for the days when I was terrified, and you always sai,d 'I'm here with you. It's hard, but I'm here with you,'" she wrote.
She continued: "It's been 191 days that you're not here with me, and it still hasn't sunk in that innocent people are being murdered. All I have left to say is thank you. Thank you for being by my side all this time, thank you for listening to my fears, thank you for simply being there. I promise you'll always be a part of me, that I'll never forget you, and that I'll do my very best to give you a proper burial. I wish you knew how much we all love you. May your memory be blessed."
This week, during a protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, marking one year since the hostage deal, Svirsky's sister, Meirav, shared her feelings: "In the week when 105 women, men and children returned, when I knew Itay wouldn't return since he was a 38-year-old man, I was surprised by the intensity of emotions I experienced. Then the stories and testimonies came, including about Itay. From that moment, with every bite, every shower, every time I laid my head on the pillow, thoughts of Itay came, and with them, feelings of guilt."
Following the recovery of Shvirsky's body, 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, now for 425 days.
