Dror Or killed on October 7, body taken by Hamas - Kibbutz Be'eri

Dror Or, a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri, was murdered on October 7, and his body was taken by Hamas to Gaza, the kibbutz announced on Thursday evening.

Or's wife, Yonat, was murdered on October 7 as well, and their children, Noam and Alma, were kidnapped and released in the ceasefire deal in November. Their eldest son, Yahli, was in northern Israel at the time, escaping the Hamas assault.

A committee of experts met on Thursday and, together with representatives of the Health Ministry, intelligence officials, Israel Police, the Religious Services Ministry, and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, determined that the evidence shows that Or was murdered.

"Together with the Be'eri community, we wished and held onto the hope all the time that Dror would return alive from captivity to the arms of his children, parents, brother, and sister. Unfortunately, a committee of experts that met today determined, based on the findings presented to it, that Dror is not among the living," said the Eshkol Regional Council on Thursday.

"We are deeply saddened by his death and share in the heavy sorrow of the Or family and the Be'eri community, calling and crying out for his return and that of all the other hostages, the living and the dead, home now."

'The government must do everything so that the murdered hostages receive their last respects'

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum expressed their condolences to Or's family, adding that they would continue to accompany and support the family until Or's body is returned to Israel.

"Only the return of all the hostages, the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial, will allow a revival and a future for the State of Israel," said the Forum. "The Israeli government must do everything, so that Dror and the other 37 murdered hostages receive their last respects and burial in Israel, even before Remembrance Day."