Body returned from Gaza identified as Eliyahu (Churchill) Margalit, killed on October 7
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced that Eliyahu (Churchill) Margalit was the deceased hostage who was returned to Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight into Saturday. Margalit was 75 years old, from Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was murdered on October 7, and his body was taken into the Gaza Strip. His daughter, Nili, was also kidnapped but was later released. Known by his nickname "Churchill," Margalit arrived at Nir Oz in 1969 with a Nahal (pioneer military) group and devoted his life to raising beef cattle. "Churchill was always in work clothes and boots, driving the feed cart, caring for a sick calf – seven days a week," wrote journalist Sivan Klingbail, who grew up in the kibbutz. On the morning of October 7, as rocket sirens sounded, Margalit went out to check on his horses. A kibbutz security camera recorded him calmly riding his quad bike. "He definitely didn't understand what was happening," said his wife, Dafna Margalit. Minutes later, Eliyahu encountered one of the first groups of Hamas terrorists who infiltrated the kibbutz. He was subsequently killed and his body was abducted to Gaza. "Eli had a special bond with our grandchildren," Dafna said. "He was tough on our kids, but with the grandchildren he was very compassionate and caring. It was a new, corrective experience for him, to express these emotions. Our granddaughter says it's not fair – 'Why did I only have eight years with grandpa?