The funeral of Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz got underway in his hometown of Kibbutz Nir Oz on Tuesday afternoon, five days after his remains were returned from the Gaza Strip for burial by the Hamas terrorist group.
Israelis holding flags lined the streets as Lifshitz’s casket made its way from the central city of Rishon Lezion to Nir Oz, local media reported.
“With a heavy heart and deep sorrow, we say goodbye to Oded Lifshitz, murdered by vile murderers,” said Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich. “Oded was a pioneer and founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz—a man of the people and the land—and the entire country grieves his death.”

When the coffin passed by the Sa’ad Junction in Israel’s south, mourners sang the national anthem, according to the Ynet news outlet.
The ceremony at the kibbutz, which was open to the public, drew hundreds of attendees, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
“Oded, my dear, unfortunately, I never had the privilege of knowing you personally. But since our day of disaster—Oct. 7th—you have become a part of all our lives,” the head of state said in his remarks at the funeral.
“I stand here, on the soil of your homeland, as president of the State of Israel, on behalf of the State of Israel, I ask you—beloved Oded, I ask Yocheved and your dear family—for forgiveness,” he continued.
“The community of Nir Oz will live and flourish. The community of Nir Oz will be rebuilt and will rebuild,” said Herzog. “Nir Oz will continue to be a symbol—of determination, of building, of faith, and of great hope. The entire people of Israel will stand with you every step of the way.”
Lifshitz, who was 83 at the time of his abduction, was taken from his Nir Oz home during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border terror attack alongside his wife, Yocheved. The latter was released by the terror group in late 2023 as part of a ceasefire agreement with the Jewish state.
Lifshitz’s and three other bodies were handed over to the Red Cross on Feb. 20 following a propaganda ceremony in Gaza’s south attended by members of Hamas’s “military wing,” Gaza civilians and terrorists released under the auspices of previous prisoner swaps.
The Red Cross handed the coffins to Israel Defense Forces troops and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) officers inside Gaza. A short military ceremony was conducted by the IDF chief rabbi before the bodies were escorted to Tel Aviv for identification.
Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir, whose bodies were also returned, are set to be buried in a private ceremony on Wednesday.
“Oded Lifshitz was 83 at the time of his death. We share in the family’s sorrow at this difficult hour. May his memory be blessed,” according to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office shortly after his remains were identified.
In an earlier statement, Netanyahu stressed that “the four coffins of our loved ones oblige us more than ever to promise, to swear, that what happened on October 7 will never happen again.
“The blood of our loved ones cries out to us from the ground. It obliges us to deal with the vile murderers—and we will deal with them,” he said. “We will return all of our hostages, destroy the murderers, eliminate Hamas and together—with God’s help—we will secure our future.”
He concluded by quoting from Tehillim 94: “O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs; O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!” JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}