The body of an Israeli hostage who said he “fought heroically” to defend his community during a “fierce battle” on October 7, 2023, has been returned by terrorists for burial, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
The Israeli military announced that 61-year-old Lior Rudaeff was returned after he “fell in battle while defending his community during the October 7 massacre” and was “captured by the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad.”
“Lior is being brought home after 763 days,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said on Saturday. “On the morning of October 7, Lior, together with the emergency response team of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, fought heroically at the kibbutz gate and stopped many terrorists.”
“After a fierce battle, Lior was killed and his body was abducted to Gaza along with Tal Haimi, whose body was later returned for burial,” the organization added.
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Israeli soldiers are seen walking through Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in Israel on October 25, 2023. The body of Lior Rudaeff, who was killed in the October 7, 2023 attacks, was returned to Israel on Friday, according to the Israeli army. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images; The Hostages and Missing Families Forum/AP)
The IDF said Rudaeff’s death was confirmed on May 7, 2024. He is survived by his wife and four children.
“The IDF extends its deep condolences to the family, continues to make every effort to return all deceased hostages and is prepared for the further implementation of the agreement,” it said in reference to an ongoing agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages with Hamas.
“Hamas is obliged to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all hostages to their families and give them a dignified burial,” the IDF added.
A Red Cross convoy carrying the body of a person, believed to be a deceased hostage, handed over by Hamas, makes its way to the border crossing with Israel, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Friday, November 7, 2025. (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Rudaeff was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel at the age of 7.
“Those close to him say that he was generous by nature and had volunteered as an ambulance driver in the Eshkol Regional Council and as a member of Nir Yitzhak’s emergency response team for 40 years. He was always the first to volunteer and extended a helping hand to everyone,” the statement said.
Protesters hold a sign with a photo of Israeli hostage Lior Rudaeff in Tel Aviv, Israel, on August 15, 2024. (Matan Golan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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On Saturday, the organization said the bodies of five deceased hostages were still being held in the Gaza Strip.
