Israel Identifies Remains of Lior Rudaeff, Hostage Killed on October 7

Remains of Lior Rudaeff Identified Following Return from Gaza

Israeli authorities have formally identified the remains of Lior Rudaeff, a 61-year-old Argentinian-Israeli citizen, who was killed during the October 7, 2023 attacks. His body was returned from the Gaza Strip on Friday night as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement and subsequently identified by forensic experts on Saturday morning. Rudaeff's family was notified of the identification, bringing an end to a prolonged period of uncertainty.

The Events of October 7, 2023

Lior Rudaeff, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was a dedicated member of his community, serving for 40 years as a volunteer ambulance driver and as part of the kibbutz's emergency response team. On the morning of October 7, 2023, as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists launched their assault, Rudaeff bravely joined the defense of his kibbutz. He was killed during the fierce fighting near his home, and his body was subsequently abducted and taken into Gaza by PIJ operatives.

For months, his family held onto hope that he might be alive, especially after his phone was tracked to Khan Younis. However, in May 2024, Israeli authorities officially confirmed that Rudaeff had been killed on October 7 and that his body was being held in Gaza. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer in the reserves in recognition of his heroism.

Return and Identification Process

The return of Rudaeff's remains occurred on Friday night, November 7, 2025, facilitated by the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The body was transferred to Israel, where forensic experts at the National Center of Forensic Medicine (also referred to as the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir) worked in cooperation with the Israel Police and the IDF Rabbinate to confirm his identity. The identification was completed on Saturday morning, November 8, 2025.

Ceasefire Agreement and Family's Statement

Lior Rudaeff's body is the 23rd deceased hostage to be returned from Gaza under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10. This agreement mandates the return of all hostages and their remains. As part of the deal, Israel has also returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage.

Rudaeff is survived by his wife, Yaffa, his four children, Noam, Nadav, Bar, and Ben, three grandchildren, his father, Giora, and his siblings, Idit and Doron. His children expressed their profound relief and sorrow on social media, stating, 'After 763 harrowing days, our Lior has been returned home, to be buried in the land he went out to defend on that dark morning, which changed our lives forever.'