The bodies of Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levy have been identified as three of the four bodies of deceased hostages transferred Tuesday night to Israel.
The fourth body transferred with them is not that of an Israeli hostage.
Baruch's family announced: "With great pain and enormous sadness we announce the return of the body of our beloved Uriel Baruch, may G-d avenge his blood, from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayers, hope, and faith. The memorial will be held today, Wednesday, October 15, at 6:00 p.m. at the Netzach Uriel synagogue, as was planned previously."
Baruch was murdered and kidnapped from the Nova party in Re'im on October 7, 2023.
Baruch, 35, was from Givon. He worked in the field of building materials and loved techno music. His relatives describe him as a happy person who loved life, enjoyed spending time with friends, and traveling the world. He was always surrounded by friends, most of whom affectionately called him 'Badalo.' Uriel was known for his generosity and for giving of himself to anyone in need. His motto was "Live life as if there's no tomorrow." After 172 days without a sign of life, his family was informed that Uriel had been murdered on October 7 and his body was kidnapped to Gaza. He left behind his wife Racheli, two children, his parents, and three siblings.
The IDF issued an official announcement, stating: "Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, aged 18, from Nirit, Education NCO at the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison Office, Education and Youth Corps, a fallen soldier who was held captive by a terrorist organization, has been returned for burial."
The Nimrodi family announced: "After two years of agonizing uncertainty, filled with hope and wishes for a different end, we received the difficult news that the body of our beloved Tamir was identified. Tamir was cruelly kidnapped from his base and murdered in Hamas captivity. Tamir was returned to Israel yesterday for eternal rest. We are experiencing pain and reflection, but we will not leave the families of the hostages until the last hostage is returned.".
Alon, Tamir's father, wrote, "With a broken heart and pain too enormous to bear, we announce that the body of Tamir, my beloved eldest son, was returned last night from Gaza. Details regarding the time of the funeral will be provided later."
Nimrodi, 20, was from Nirit. He was kidnapped from a base in the Gaza envelope where he served as an Education NCO. He had managed to serve ten months until his kidnapping. During his military service he felt he had found his calling and was even interviewed for officer training a week before his kidnapping. Those around him said he was a social, caring person who cared for others. Tamir was not supposed to be at the base on October 7, but volunteered to cover Shabbat instead of another soldier. Tamir is survived by his parents, Herut and Alon, and his siblings, Amit and Mika.
The Hostages Families Forum claimed that Tamir was kidnapped from his base alive and was killed by IDF bombings while in captivity.
A personal note found in Nimrodi's uniform after his kidnapping read, "To succeed in helping many people, to create a close social circle, not to cause harm." Romi Efrat, a comrade in arms, recalled finding the note that last Saturday, saying, "These are powerful words, but they pay testimony to you, Tamir."
Eitan Levy, 53, was from Bat Yam. He was a warm and loving family man who always cared for those around him rather than himself. He was a responsible person, dedicated to every place he reached, and everyone testified to his great kindness. His great loves were his only son Shahar and his two dogs. Eitan was listed as missing for over 40 days until he was declared a hostage, and after 62 days the army officially informed the family that Eitan is considered a deceased hostage held in Gaza. He was kidnapped while driving a friend to Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas attack. Eitan left behind a large extended family, his son Shahar, Shahar’s fiancée Shir, Aviva, Chen, Sunny, Reef, and River.
The Prime Minister's Office shared: "Following the completion of the identification process by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the IDF Rabbinate, IDF representatives notified the families of hostages Uriel Baruch, Staff-Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy, may their memories be for a blessing, that their loved ones had been returned to Israel and their identification completed."
"The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Baruch, Nimrodi, and Levy families, and all the families of the fallen hostages.
"The Government and the entire establishment for the missing and the captives of the State of Israel are determined, committed, and working tirelessly to return all of our fallen hostages for proper burial in their country.
"The Hamas terrorist organization is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement. We will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all of the fallen hostages, every last one of them. May their memories be for a blessing."