The story of Hostage Tsachi Idan, whos remains are being returned to Israel tonight 

Tsahi Idan, a 49-year-old father from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was tragically kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, during the brutal attack on his home. As rockets rained down on southern Israel, Tsahi and his family sought refuge in their safe room. It was there, with his wife Gali and their three children, that the nightmare began. The family barricaded themselves inside, but the terrorists soon breached the safe room, and Tsahi, along with his 18-year-old daughter, Maayan, held the door shut in a desperate attempt to protect them.

In a devastating moment, Maayan was shot through the door and collapsed into Tsahi's arms, fatally wounded. As Gali later described, Tsahi was left "broken," unable to function after the loss of his daughter. Despite his distress, Tsahi tried to comfort his remaining children, Yael and the youngest, but his stoic demeanor was shattered. The terrorists filmed the entire attack, and the chilling footage later revealed the heartbreaking scenes of the Idan family's trauma.

Tsahi was eventually taken by the terrorists, while Gali and their two younger children were left behind, with the terrorists telling Yael, "He’ll be back." The promise of his return, however, remained unfulfilled. For months, Tsahi’s family lived in a state of uncertainty, holding onto the hope that he would be freed in one of the subsequent ceasefire deals. Despite receiving signs of life in November 2023, it was later confirmed by the family that Tsahi had been killed in captivity, a fact that was made all the more heartbreaking as he had not been able to mourn the death of his daughter, Maayan.

Now, Tsahi’s remains are set to be returned to Israel tonight, after an agonizing wait. His family continues to seek closure, demanding certainty and the return of his body to give him the proper burial he deserves. Gali, in interviews and emotional pleas, has shared the pain of their loss, expressing that she needed Tsahi to be by her side to mourn the death of their daughter together. His mother, Devorah, spoke at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference, describing the emotional turmoil her family had endured since that fateful day in October. She highlighted the deep sorrow of watching her granddaughter’s death unfold live on Facebook and the prolonged agony of not knowing Tsahi’s fate.

As the remains of Tsahi Idan are finally returned to his family, they remain focused on securing a dignified farewell for him, knowing that their personal nightmare will only begin to end with his homecoming.