Hostage’s family in blast at Netanyahu after body found
THE family of a hostage found dead during an Israeli commando raid has blasted premier Benjamin Netanyahu for not bringing him back alive.
Acting on a tip-off, troops found the body of farmer Elad Katzir, 47, in a shallow grave in a refugee camp at Khan Younis in Gaza late on Friday.
He was one of 253 hostages taken to Gaza after the October 7 terror attack and had not been seen since appearing in a Hamas video in January, when he said it was ‘a miracle I’m still alive’. Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Mr Katzir was ‘murdered in captivity’.
His father Avraham was among 1,200 killed on October 7. His mother Hanna was abducted but released in November as part of a hostage deal.
Mr Katzir’s body was yesterday returned to his heartbroken family.
His sister Carmit said: ‘The Prime Minister and the IDF have no idea where most of the abductees, alive and murdered, are being held.
‘Elad was kidnapped alive and well and photographed twice while in captivity. He could have been saved if a deal had happened in time.
‘Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen.
‘He was abandoned on October 7 and was abandoned for 183 days in captivity, during which time he could have been returned alive.’
News of Mr Katzir’s death came as President Joe Biden was under fresh pressure from Democrat allies to halt arms to Israel, following the killing of seven aid workers, including three Britons, in air strikes last week.
More than 30 members of the House of Representatives, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called for the US to stop arming Israel.