Israeli forces have recovered the body of one of the hostages from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said.
The army confirmed that Ron Benjamin, 53, was found alongside the bodies of three other hostages whose identities were confirmed on Friday.
The 53-year-old had been taking part in a group cycle ride near the Gaza border when the Hamas attack began on 7 October.
About 1,200 people were killed during the unprecedented attack when Hamas gunmen burst into Israel. They took 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement posted on X that military intelligence found he was killed on 7 October.
The military said Mr Benjamin was killed at the Mefalsim intersection, and his body was “abducted to Gaza by Hamas militants”.
Identification was carried out on Mr Benjamin’s body and his family have been informed.
Mr Benjamin’s family told Israeli media that he had been taking part in a group cycle ride near the Gaza border when the Hamas attack began and he decided to drive home.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was a family man – a husband and father-of-two – who loved cycling and “used to go out for a ride every Saturday, just as he did on that fateful Saturday when he was taken hostage from the Kibbutz Be’eri area”.
“Ron loved traveling in Israel and around the world, and he loved music,” the group said.
Mr Benjamin’s body was recovered in the same operation that recovered the bodies of three other hostages – Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter.
The IDF said the three victims had been killed at an intersection near the site of the Nova festival massacre in southern Israel, before their bodies were taken to Gaza.
(BBC)
