Body of Hostage Dror Or Returned to Israel After Identification Completed

The body of Israeli hostage Dror Or was returned to Israel yesterday by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and officially identified this morning by forensic specialists. IDF representatives notified the Or family following the completion of the forensic process, more than two years after Or was murdered and taken into Gaza from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023.

The IDF said Islamic Jihad reported yesterday that Or’s body had been found in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, after which the terror group and Hamas transferred the body to the Red Cross. The organization brought it to Israeli forces in accordance with the current framework. Two slain hostages — Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak — remain in Gaza.

In its formal statement, the IDF said: “After the identification process was completed by the National Center of Forensic Medicine together with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives notified the family of the hostage Dror Or z”l that their loved one has been brought for burial.” They added that “Or was kidnapped from his home in Be’eri and murdered on October 7, 2023. His body was taken to Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad… Dror, 48, leaves behind three children. His wife, Yonat z”l, was also murdered in the attack.”

The Prime Minister’s Office released its own statement, saying: “The Government of Israel shares the heavy grief of the Or family and of all the families of the fallen hostages… Israel is determined and working tirelessly to bring back the two remaining fallen hostages for proper burial. Hamas must fulfill its commitments and return them. We will not compromise until all hostages are returned, every last one.”

Kibbutz Be’eri also issued a detailed message, noting that “for the first time since October 7, no hostages from Kibbutz Be’eri remain in captivity.” The community described Or as “a devoted father to three children — Yehli, Noam and Alma — and a loving partner to Yonat z”l… a calm, kind-hearted man with gentle humor and deep sensitivity.” They said he worked as a cheesemaker and chef in the Be’eri dairy, managed catering events, practiced yoga and taught it as well. 

The kibbutz also recounted the events of October 7, when terrorists set the Or family home on fire. Dror and Yonat pushed their children out of the safe-room window, saving their lives. The couple then tried to escape separately but both were murdered, and Dror was taken to Gaza.
Two of their children, Noam and Alma, then 16 and 13, and their cousin Liam, were abducted. They were all later released alive in a hostage deal in November 2023. The oldest son, Yehli, survived because he was not at home during the attack.

The Hostages Families Forum wrote “On October 7 the Or family hid in the shelter. When the house caught fire, Dror and Yonat decided to push their children out through the window, saving their lives… After 781 painful days, during which his family worked day and night for his return — Dror has been brought back to Be’eri for burial in the land he loved.” They noted the return of Or’s body came exactly two years after Noam and Alma came home from captivity, marking what they described as a bitter and painful milestone for the family and the community.