Ofra Keidar, a 71-year-old Kibbutz Be’eri member who was murdered by Hamas-led terrorists while on an early morning walk near her home during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, with her body then abducted to Gaza, was buried Thursday by her family and community.

Keidar’s children spoke about receiving personal closure and of their appreciation to the IDF forces who recently recovered her body, finally enabling her proper burial.

The bodies of Keidar, 71, and two other slain hostages, Yonatan Samerano and Staff Sgt. Shay Levinson, were recovered in a joint military and Shin Bet operation from the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

“Mom, a huge hole has opened up for us since October 7,” said her son, Elad Keidar, in his eulogy.

“After they told us you had been recovered from Gaza, I couldn’t stop replaying our last phone conversation in my head — the photos and videos I saw, the situation we were in at home, and the state you were in when you faced the terrorists,” he said, and apologized for not being able to help her during the Hamas attack.

His sister, Yael Keidar, a woman with special needs, spoke as well, telling her mother that she misses her hugs and continues on her mother’s path — swimming, caring for animals, and giving love to all those around her.

“My dear brothers Elad and Oren are always by my side, even when things are difficult for me,” said Yael Keidar.

The slain kibbutznik was remembered by friends and family as a lover of exercise who always took her daily morning walk, loved gardening, swimming and animals — and worked for decades in the kibbutz’s dairy farm, milking cows.

Einav Keidar, Ofra’s daughter-in-law, said her children miss their grandmother.

“Today, we are granted this moment to bid you farewell in peace,” said Einav Keidar. “You are deep within our thoughts and hearts. We love you, and please watch over us from above, because we are very tired. I long for days of unity and unconditional love among our people, but above all, our moral obligation and ability to heal ourselves will come only after the return of the remaining hostages: those who are alive for rehabilitation, and those for proper burial in the land of Israel.”

Amit Shalvi, a fellow Kibbutz Be’eri member and friend, noted that Keidar’s family now has a grave they can visit. He said there are five Be’eri members — Yossi Sharabi, Ilan Weiss, Dror Or, Manny Godard and Sahar Baruch, some of whom were killed on October 7 and others in captivity — among the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are assumed to be alive and 30 deceased.

President Isaac Herzog also spoke at the funeral, saying that it was the duty of Israelis to remember those still held in tunnels in Gaza.

“We must, simply must, return all the hostages — both the living and the dead,” he said. “I call from here to the prime minister and the decision makers: We are at a key moment,” he stated, noting the achievements of the recent war with Iran should open an opportunity to reach a deal.

“Send all the teams, the most senior levels, to Qatar, to Cairo, everywhere, to talk to everyone to whom we need to talk, continue to act with determination, creativity, and urgency, in every way and with all our strength until they return to us,” he said.

Herzog also apologized on behalf of the state for failing to protect Be’eri’s residents during the massacre, and the ongoing failure to return hostages.

Keidar was murdered by Hamas-led terrorists while on an early morning walk near her home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the October 7, 2023, onslaught. Her body was then abducted to Gaza.

Keidar’s husband, Sami Keidar, was killed by Hamas terrorists on the sofa in his home, according to relatives. Suffering from Parkinson’s, he was unable to reach the family’s safe room in time. His caregiver was also wounded by Hamas gunfire.

Also on Thursday, four hostages’ family members spoke to reporters during a virtual press conference organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and MediaCentral about the need to press for a hostage deal with Hamas now that the 12-day war with Iran ended with a ceasefire.

The conflict with Iran was essential for the security of the State of Israel, said Ilan Dalal, whose son, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, is believed to be one of the 20 living hostages still held in Gaza.

“Iran was threatening to destroy Israel,” said Dalal. “I would prefer that it would have started after the hostages were already released. We should now push for a deal to end the war in Gaza.”

The latest sign of life of Gilboa-Dalal, a 24-year-old taken from the Nova festival who has marked two birthdays in captivity, was from a video taken on February 23 when he and his best friend, hostage Evyatar David, were forced to visit the site of other hostages being freed.

“There should be a solution; the war needs to end for the whole region to be able to move forward,” said Orna Neutra, whose son, Omer Neutra, was taken captive on October 7 and killed in a Gaza tunnel, where his body is still held hostage.

Her husband, Ronen Neutra, said that he doesn’t consider the 12 days of the war with Iran as a separate war, but rather as an extension of the war that started with October 7 and went on to include Hezbollah in Lebanon and then other fronts and now Iran, the sponsor of the regional terror proxies.

He commented that with US intervention, the war with Iran lasted only 12 days, the opposite of the situation with Gaza.

“We feel that the war in Gaza is prolonged for political reasons,” he said. “So we’re asking President Trump to intervene and do what he did with Iran, put pressure on Hamas and Israel. The people are tired, it’s time to end this conflict.”

The family members emphasized that there is an opportunity now to push for a deal with Hamas following the ceasefire with Iran.

“There’s this amazing success that Israel just had in Iran, and we need to leverage that,” said Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still held hostage while her other brother-in-law, Iair Horn, was released in February.

Leah Goldin, who has been struggling to bring home her son, Hadar Goldin, since 2014, when he was killed as a soldier by Hamas and his body abducted, noted that she is optimistic for an opportunity to end the Gaza war right now, particularly given that Iran is a member state of the United Nations which has been urging renewed diplomacy between Israel and Iran.

“We’re being told all the time that negotiations are taking place but that Hamas is not willing to change [its stance],” said Cusnir-Horn. “What we’re trying to tell the US administration and President Trump is that something needs to change; Israel also has to take this agreement, just like it did with Iran. Maybe this conflict with Iran didn’t end the way Israel wanted, but just as the US intervened with Iran, this is the kind of leadership we ask for from President Trump with Hamas.”

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive, and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said.

Michael Horovitz contributed to this report.