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The long search for answers about the fate of 18-year-old IDF soldier Tamir Nimrodi came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday morning when his family confirmed that his body was among those handed over by Hamas overnight. Nimrodi, who was taken hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7, 2023, was identified following the transfer of several bodies to Israel, bringing closure to a two-year ordeal marked by uncertainty and anguish.

For nearly two years, Israel had described his condition as a matter of “grave concern.” The return of his remains on Tuesday night provided the first confirmation that he was killed while in captivity. Alongside Nimrodi, Hamas also returned the bodies of Eitan Levy and Uriel Baruch, as well as a fourth body that was later determined not to belong to any of the hostages.

In a deeply emotional interview with Channel 12, Tamir’s father, Alon Nimrodi, said he felt “fortunate” to finally have certainty about his son’s fate but emphasized that their family’s mission was not complete until all 21 of the remaining deceased hostages are brought back. “This is the moment that we so feared, the moment I refused to believe would come,” he said. “The whole time, I said if there was a 0.01% chance, I would burn the world for Tamir to come home alive and well, but unfortunately, we got the news this morning.”

When asked whether there was any relief in finally knowing, Alon said the family was struggling with a complex mix of sorrow and closure. “We, like every one of the hostage families, never had the ability to give up or relax for even a single moment,” he said. “For us, the journey ended in a terrible way — not like I had hoped — but there is a long struggle ahead for the release of 21 other hostages who are in the Gaza Strip, and we must continue to struggle until they all return home.”

He continued with painful honesty: “We feel fortunate – which is a terrible thing to say about your own son who was killed in Gaza, your eldest son who was kidnapped – but I mean to say that we are lucky to have received his body back.”

“In a certain sense, there is some relief, because there is now the certainty… there is a certain easing in knowing that our son has returned to us, even if it’s in this coffin,” he said before breaking down in tears.

Describing Tamir as his “hero,” Alon expressed immense pride in his son’s strength and spirit. He also thanked the IDF personnel who made it possible for the family to finally bring him home, saying they “allowed us to breathe right now.”

The Hostage Families Forum released a tribute highlighting Tamir’s devotion to his service. “During his service, he felt like he had found his purpose and had interviewed for officer training only a week before he was taken hostage. His friends and family say he was a social and caring man. Tamir was not supposed to be on base on October 7 but volunteered to stay for that weekend [which coincided with Simhat Torah] so his friends could celebrate the holiday at home with their families.”

After his abduction, a note written by Tamir was found in his room. It read: “Help as many people as possible, create a close social circle and don’t hurt anyone.”

He leaves behind his parents, Herut and Alon, and his sisters, Amit and Mika.

Tamir’s funeral will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the military cemetery in Kfar Saba. His father extended an open invitation: “Every person who Tamir touched a little come and pay final respects to my hero.”

The family released a statement Wednesday saying Tamir was “kidnapped cruelly from his base and murdered in Hamas captivity.” However, the Hostage Families Forum issued a separate statement asserting that he had been “killed by IDF bombings in captivity.”

The IDF said in its own statement that preliminary findings indicate Nimrodi was killed while being held by Hamas early in the war. “Final conclusions will be formulated after the completion of the examination of the circumstances of death” at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv, the military said.

Nimrodi had served in COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip. Video footage from the attack showed him alongside Cpl. Nik Baizer and Sgt. Ron Sherman being forced by terrorists toward the base gate, dressed in shorts and T-shirts. The remains of Baizer and Sherman were later recovered by Israeli troops, who determined that both were killed in a nearby Israeli airstrike in November 2023.

{Matzav.com}

The stories emerging from the freed hostages are gut-wrenching — scenes of cages, chains, and pits that echo sheer brutality. After two years in Hamas captivity, the survivors, now safely back in Israel, are beginning to share the horrors they endured through their families, detailing relentless beatings, starvation, and psychological torment.

In these accounts of cruelty, there are also flashes of courage — small acts of rebellion and faith that sustained them through endless days of darkness.

At Rabin Medical Center, where several of the released hostages are being treated, families have begun to share updates about the survivors’ conditions. “We always knew he had the emotional ability to survive, but honestly, his abilities were beyond anything we could imagine,” said Idit Ohel, whose son, Alon, returned home after more than 700 days in captivity.

She explained that Alon had been living for two years with shrapnel embedded in his head and right eye, leaving his vision impaired. Surgeons expect that, with treatment, his sight can be greatly improved.

Prof. Itai Pessach, associate director-general of Sheba Medical Center, said that “every one of them has endured untold adversity and horrors, and therefore the road for recovery is going to be a very long one.”

The testimonies gathered so far reveal a pattern of severe abuse. Tami Braslavski, mother of released hostage Rom Braslavski, said her son was whipped and beaten “with things that I will not even mention” over several months. He survived, she said, because he “knew it would end.”

Avinatan Or’s father, Yaron, recounted his son’s experience of being handcuffed, confined, and punished after attempting to flee. “Avinatan tried to escape from captivity, and then they beat him,” he told Kan radio. “He was handcuffed to the bars. It was a barred place 1.8 meters [six feet] high, and the length of it was the length of the mattress, plus a little. You can call it a cage.”

The suffering was not only physical. Kobi Kalfon, father of freed hostage Segev Kalfon, broke down while describing the “horrific two years of captivity” his son had to endure, saying he still struggles to process the depth of the trauma.

Some of the worst abuse took place just before the captives’ release. Rabbi Avi Ohana, father of Yosef-Haim Ohana, said his son had been buried alive in a cramped underground pit with six other men. “They could not sit, only lean against the wall while standing. He lacked oxygen. I thank God, who made him strong. What kept him going was his family,” the rabbi said.

Yaron Or said his son spent his entire imprisonment inside a tunnel. “They didn’t starve him, but the food was scarce. He is very thin,” he said.

The captors also waged psychological warfare. Braslavski’s mother said her son was pressured to convert to Islam, with promises of better food and conditions if he complied. When he refused, they taunted him with lies that Israel had abandoned him and that the country had fallen apart. “They told him that we were broken, that we didn’t have the strength to get up and protest,” she said. “That he apparently wasn’t so important and that he had nowhere to go back to. They told him Israel had fallen, that almost 3,000 soldiers had fallen.”

Rabbi Ohana recalled that his son and another hostage were forced to listen to religious broadcasts in Arabic, but the two managed to manipulate the radio wires and pick up Israeli army broadcasts instead. There, Yosef-Haim heard his father’s voice. “He said to himself, ‘My father is alive! He is waiting for me!’ and it gave him new life,” the rabbi said.

Acts of quiet defiance became a lifeline. Tami Braslavski said her son once used fire from a terrorist’s uniform to cook pasta, surviving on half a pita a day while chained by his hands and feet. The small blaze caught attention, and though it led to his relocation, it also improved his conditions slightly.

At Sheba Medical Center, doctors are cautiously optimistic. Pessach said all ten released hostages under their care are stable. “As a physician and as a human being, I can’t emphasize enough the impact of being surrounded by their loved ones on the general well-being and their ability to heal,” he said. “They’ll probably need weeks, months and maybe years to heal, but they’ll finally be taking the first steps to return to life.”

Dr. Michal Steinman, nursing director at Rabin Medical Center, said the five hostages there are struggling with “severe but treatable nutrition problems.” She added, “The body remembers those 700-plus days of captivity and starvation. Medically, right now, we don’t have any surprises. The hostages interact, they smile. They came with a big drive to heal, recover and rehabilitate.”

Steinman said she feels “very optimistic” about their recovery. “It’s going to be a very long road, and there are going to be ups and downs, but I think each one of them developed really special techniques of survival and how to keep their mind and soul guarded,” she explained.

Family members have described the joy and disbelief that followed the captives’ homecoming. Gali and Ziv Berman, twin brothers who were held separately, were stunned to discover that they would be reunited. “We didn’t know where [the other twin] was. Suddenly, they brought him out,” Gali told President Isaac Herzog.

Idit Ohel, speaking for her family, said, “It’s up to us to ensure that the new home we build here will be a complete home, that it will be a safe home, in the deepest sense of the word.”

The overwhelming emotion of relief was evident as Sylvia Cunio, mother of released hostages David and Ariel Cunio, faced the press. Raising her fist, she declared with tears and triumph, “My children are home!”

Yotam Cohen, brother of freed soldier Nimrod Cohen, expressed both heartbreak and gratitude. He told Haaretz that his brother had endured “unthinkable atrocities,” including being held in a cage for over a year and a half, blindfolded, interrogated, and beaten. “They treated him worse because he was a soldier,” he said. Yet, seeing Nimrod’s smile after his release convinced him that “the same Nimrod returned.”

He added that the captors tried to convince the soldiers that “Israel gave up on them, that the government didn’t want to bring them back, that the country wasn’t fighting for them,” but that lie didn’t hold. Against all odds, they survived — physically battered, emotionally scarred, but unbroken.

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli government representative told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Hamas is fully aware of the locations where at least some of the bodies of the 21 hostages still unreturned are buried.

Despite this, the terror organization has repeatedly insisted that it does not know the whereabouts of all those who were killed in captivity. As recently as Wednesday night, Hamas reiterated that it has already transferred every hostage it was able to locate.

According to Hamas, finding the rest of the bodies would require “major logistical work” and advanced search tools that it claims are not currently available to them.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Wednesday that the Red Cross had received the remains of two murdered hostages from Hamas.

Just one day earlier, the terror group delivered the body of a Gazan man who had aided Israel’s military in identifying Hamas tunnels, substituting him for one of the expected hostage bodies when it handed over four corpses to Israel.

“Hamas released a body that is not that of a fallen soldier. We are clear when we say this: Hamas must return all the fallen hostages; we will not compromise and will spare no effort until all the fallen are returned,” the statement read.

“Hamas committed to this before President Trump, and all the fallen must come home. Humanitarian aid has never been interrupted. For questions, please contact the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the IDF.”

{Matzav.com}

On Tuesday, Hamas handed over the body of a Gazan civilian who had aided Israeli forces in uncovering terror tunnels, mistakenly presenting it as one of the fallen hostages during the transfer of four bodies to Israel.

Initially, Israeli officials believed the confusion stemmed from an identification error. The body had been dressed in an IDF uniform, leading investigators to assume it was that of a soldier who had been killed in combat.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel will utilize every possible means to ensure the return of all hostages’ remains,” an Israeli official said following the discovery.

A day later, Netanyahu’s office confirmed to the international media that Hamas’s delivery of a Gazan body instead of a hostage’s remains was considered a breach of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace accord governing the ceasefire and hostage exchange.

The spokesperson emphasized that even with these violations, Israel has continued to allow humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza without disruption.

“Hamas released a body that is not that of a fallen soldier. We are clear when we say this: Hamas must return all the fallen hostages; we will not compromise and will spare no effort until all the fallen are returned,” the statement read.

“Hamas committed to this before President Trump, and all the fallen must come home. Humanitarian aid has never been interrupted. For questions, please contact the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the IDF.”

According to Israeli officials, the families of those still missing have expressed how vital it is to recover the remains of their loved ones. “The families of the fallen said that their return would save the lives of all the family members,” they explained. “This would allow the bodies to be brought to an Israeli grave, and thus they could return to their lives.”

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities confirmed early Wednesday morning that the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute had successfully identified the remains of three hostages: Uriel Baruch, Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi.

{Matzav.com}

We hope you had a wonderful Yom Tov and wish you success in the upcoming year. Tonight/Tomorrow is the yahrtzeit of the holy Ribnitzer Rebbe zt”l – he supported our work at Yad L’Achim and you should read the amazing story with him and a rescued child – CLICK HERE. His kever has become one of the most visited holy sites in America – submit names for free HERE  HISTORIC FREE OPPORTUNITY: With one click or call – you can submit names for tefillah to 2 places! At the Ribnitzer Rebbe, as well as at the Chasam Sofer in Slovakia –  for his yahrtzeit Friday! TO SUBMIT YOUR NAMES AND/OR SUPPORT – CLICK HERE or call our us at 1-718-690-2944 and we will be happy to take your names over the phone     Incredible Story!: The Ribnitzer Rebbe zt”l, was very close to Yad L’Achim. He personally supported Yad L’Achim, was involved in our work and gave his bracha (blessing) for all who support Yad L’Achim in their work of Pidyon Shvuyim.   To read the incredible story about the Ribnitzer Rebbe, children rescued from an Arab Village by Yad L’Achim, Rav Shach and Satmar CLICK HERE   The Chasam Sofer Yahrtzeit is Chaf Hay Tishrei – Free Tefilla by Yad L’Achim!   Tefillos can be for SHIDDUCHIM – CHILDREN – HEALTH – PARNASSAH & all personal requests Join (FOR FREE) the many whose prayers were answered at these holy sites (no donation required) CLICK HERE or visit www.YADLACHIM.orgor call our us at 1-718-690-2944 and we will be happy to take your names over the phone   SHARE THIS VIA WHATSAPPKnow someone who can benefit from this free tefillah?   Redeem YIZKOR Pledge! – CLICK HERE or call us at 1-718-690-2944

Just two days after being freed from nearly two years of inhumane torment at the hands of Hamas, 22-year-old IDF soldier Matan Angrest spoke about the unimaginable suffering he endured—and the emunah that kept him alive throughout.

Matan, a tank crewman who was captured in the fierce battle at Nachal Oz on October 7, 2023, shared how his belief in Hashem never wavered, even in the depths of the tunnels beneath Gaza. “It was clear to me that I’d get out of captivity,” he said. “The place I was in was bombed, but I wasn’t hurt; it was a series of miracles.”

He recounted his experiences on Wednesday from Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where he is recovering from the severe injuries inflicted during his captivity. During the visit, he met with Mrs. Tzili Schneider, founder and CEO of Kesher Yehudi, who gifted him a brand-new pair of tefillin.

Matan’s story is one of extraordinary resilience. He was the sole survivor of his tank after it was struck, taken hostage, and dragged into Gaza. His mother, Anat, revealed this week that “Matan underwent very severe torture,” describing “severe burns on his right arm and fingers, harm to his vision, and unlivable conditions.” His father, Chagai, added that “they treated him like a captured soldier. His condition was very bad; they tortured him. He has a lot of injuries that occurred during the seven months after his abduction. He was taken from place to place, sometimes with seven other men in one pit, and he contended with isolation, starvation, and constant fear.”

Despite enduring such cruelty, Matan refused to let his spirit be broken. Even in the earliest days of his captivity, while still reeling from the trauma, he clung tightly to his connection with Hashem. “I insisted on putting on tefillin and getting a siddur and Tanach,” he said. “I demanded from the captors to receive those things.” Incredibly, his captors agreed—and even a senior Hamas member provided him with a siddur.

From that moment on, tefillah became his lifeline. “As part of my routine, I prayed three times a day, morning, afternoon, and night,” Matan recalled. “It protected me, it gave me hope.” In the suffocating tunnels of Gaza, surrounded by cruelty and death, his emunah became his oxygen. “It was clear that I’d get out of captivity. The place I was in was bombed, but I wasn’t hurt; it was a series of miracles.”

Mrs. Schneider, who listened to Matan’s account firsthand, said she was deeply moved by the strength of his neshomah. “He’s a true hero who held on to his Judaism even in hell. It was incredible to see Matan’s pure faith—how, amid the horrors of Hamas’s tunnels, he found immense inner strength and reconnected to faith and trust in the Creator.”

{Matzav.com}

Senior American officials confirmed on Wednesday that work is progressing to form an international force to help restore order in Gaza, as outlined in President Donald Trump’s peace framework, Reuters reported.

Central to the initiative is a U.S.-supported multinational stabilization force. Washington has pledged to contribute as many as 200 troops in a support capacity, though none are expected to enter Gaza itself.

During a press briefing, advisers to the president highlighted the fragile situation between the IDF and Hamas fighters. “Right now what we’re looking to accomplish is just a basic stabilization of the situation. The international stabilization force is starting to be constructed,” one of the advisers explained.

Negotiations are ongoing with multiple countries that could take part in the operation, including Indonesia, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan. A small contingent of roughly two dozen American troops is already stationed nearby to assist with “coordination, oversight” as the groundwork for the mission is laid.

“The goal is to use all the different local partners who want to help and be involved,” the adviser said, emphasizing the cooperative nature of the plan.

Following Hamas’ execution of seven men in Gaza City accused of aiding Israel, officials began exploring the establishment of designated safe zones for civilians to prevent similar acts of violence, one adviser told reporters.

A second adviser stressed that there are no intentions to remove Gazans from their homes, noting that rebuilding plans are being drawn up for areas cleared of Hamas elements.

On the sensitive matter of recovering the bodies of Israeli hostages who were killed in Gaza, the advisers asked the public to remain patient, explaining that many of the remains are likely trapped beneath collapsed buildings and unexploded munitions. They revealed that discussions are underway about possibly offering incentives for information that could assist in locating the bodies.

Their comments came shortly after Hamas’ military wing claimed it no longer possesses any remains of deceased hostages. “We met our end of the agreement, we released all the living hostages, and what we have as far as deceased hostages. Regarding the rest, we will need great efforts and special tools to find them,” the terror group said in a statement.

Israeli officials have reportedly told the Trump administration that implementation of the Gaza ceasefire cannot move forward unless Hamas intensifies efforts to recover and return the bodies of slain hostages, according to Axios.

Under the agreement’s terms, Hamas must make a “maximum effort” to locate and return the remains of 28 dead hostages, including two Americans. Israeli sources told Axios that Hamas has failed to meet this requirement.

The report said the deal nearly collapsed earlier this week but was salvaged after Hamas delivered five additional bodies in recent days, bringing the total recovered to nine. In response, Israel decided not to scale back humanitarian aid to Gaza and chose to keep the Rafah crossing with Egypt open for now.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that Israeli troops could return to combat in Gaza if Hamas does not abide by the current truce, declaring that Israel could restart military operations “as soon as I say the word.”

“What’s going on with Hamas – that’ll be straightened out quickly,” President Trump remarked in a short phone conversation with the network.

According to Trump, Hamas has been violating a central clause of the ceasefire, which mandates the release of all hostages—both living and deceased. While all 20 surviving captives have been freed, only eight bodies have been delivered, and one of those was found not to belong to a hostage.

Trump’s 20-point peace proposal explicitly states in Point 4, “Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.”

“Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount,” the president told CNN, underscoring the importance of securing their release.

Trump also weighed in on reports of unrest within Gaza following the deal, suggesting Hamas may be cracking down on competing groups. “Right now, Hamas is going in and clearing out the gangs, violent gangs,” he said. When asked whether civilians might be caught in the violence, Trump replied, “I’m doing research on it. We’ll find out about it. It could be gangs plus.”

Pressed on what would occur if Hamas refuses to lay down its arms, Trump responded, “I think about it. Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.”

“I had to hold them back,” he continued, alluding to his conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s administration. “I had it out with Bibi.”

Despite the difficulties, Trump expressed confidence that the truce and ongoing peace process enjoy broad global backing. He said that 59 nations have endorsed the agreement, calling it historic: “We’ve never seen anything like this. Now it’s all happening.”

He concluded by highlighting the momentum of regional cooperation under the Abraham Accords, noting, “They want to be part of the Abraham Accords. Now that Iran isn’t a problem.”

{Matzav.com}

The military arm of the Hamas terror group issued a statement asserting that it no longer has the bodies of any deceased hostages in its possession.

“We met our end of the agreement, we released all the living hostages, and what we have as far as deceased hostages. Regarding the rest, we will need great efforts and special tools to find them,” the group declared.

Meanwhile, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that, based on intelligence gathered, the Red Cross is en route to a location in northern Gaza to receive several coffins containing the remains of hostages. They later reported that two coffins holding deceased hostages were successfully handed over and are now being transported to IDF and ISA teams stationed in the Gaza Strip.

President Donald Trump stated in an interview with CNN that the IDF would be authorized to resume military operations in Gaza “as soon as I say the word” should Hamas fail to uphold the terms of the ceasefire.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump says Hamas has told his top aides that it will disarm, and that the terror group could be dealt with “violently” if it refuses do so. “I spoke to Hamas, and I said, ‘You’re going to disarm, right?’ ‘Yes, sir. We’re going to disarm.’ — That’s what they told me. They will disarm or we will disarm them,” Trump tells reporters at the White House. “We have told them we want disarm, and they will disarm. And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently, but they will disarm,” he says. “Do you understand me? … They will disarm.” Pressed on how he plans to go about doing that, Trump says, “I don’t have to explain that to you… They know I’m not playing games.”

Since Monday, Hamas has released the bodies of seven deceased hostages and one body that it claimed was a hostage but was revealed by the IDF to be an unknown Gazan. The bodies of 19 other hostages will remain in Gaza. A joint international task force is to be established to locate the missing bodies, and an Egyptian team is already operating in the Strip to locate and extract deceased hostages.