Tel Aviv, Oct. 22 -- The remains of two fallen hostages returned from Gaza were identified as Aryeh Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar on Wednesday morning, bringing closure to Kibbutz Nir Oz, where both hostages lived.

"My father was a man who never asked for anything for himself, who loved his home and his land," said Boaz Zalmanovich, Aryeh's son, after the remains were identified. "That he was taken and left without food or medicine is something I cannot put into words."

Aryeh Zalmanovich, 85, was the oldest hostage abducted during Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023. One of the kibbutz's original founders, he was kidnapped alive from his home and is believed to have been murdered in captivity on November 17, 2023.

Born in Haifa, he left his ...