After hostage Meny Godard from Kibbutz Be’eri was returned on Thursday night for proper burial in Israel, his family on Friday issued a statement shared via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Kibbutz Be’eri.
"Dad has been returned. Not home, and not in the way we would have wanted, but to the soil of the Land of Israel that he loved so much. He is no longer lying in the cursed streets of Gaza, and after 769 days, we can breathe. His pure and innocent body can now rest, and we can begin to heal,” the family said.
“We want to thank all the people of Israel who stood by our side. We thank the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the IDF, the Hostages, Missing Persons and Returnees Division in the Prime Minister's Office, and the security forces. On this day, we send our condolences to all the bereaved families who have paid the heaviest price of all.”
The family continued, “This return is a sad one. It is the final confirmation of the tragedy we suffered, but we had to reach this end. The past few weeks have been unbearable. This chapter had to end, and it will stay with us for the rest of our lives, but now we can begin to heal and return to life.”
“Three families remain trapped in this nightmare, and for them we will continue to fight, because as Dad said: 'It's not over until it's over.' The Gvili, Or, and Rinthalak families - we are with you."
The family also released a video of Meny and his wife Ayelet Godard of blessed memory, filmed during Operation Guardian of the Walls.
In the video, Meny is heard saying, "It's not over until it's over. Don't call it yet." Ayelet then replies, "You're right. ... We wait until Islamic Jihad runs out of rockets."
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)