Thousands of mourners, including the Israeli president, gathered in solemn tribute on Tuesday as 83-year-old pioneer, peace activist and great-grandfather Oded Lifshitz was laid to rest in the kibbutz he helped build. The earth of Nir Oz, the land he had tilled with hope and conviction, now holds him forever.
Oded was murdered by Hamas after being taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. He endured over 500 days in captivity before his remains were returned to Israel last Thursday.
His wife, Yocheved, 85, was also abducted but released after two weeks. Together, they had dedicated their lives to building bridges, even transporting patients from Gaza to Israeli hospitals for medical treatment—an act of humanity repaid with brutality.
As the funeral procession made its way from Chevra Kadisha in Rishon Lezion, mourners lined the roads, holding Israeli and yellow flags in silent solidarity.
At Sa’ad Junction, voices rose in unison to sing Hatikvah around his coffin– a cry of resilience and remembrance. By noon, he reached his final resting place in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where grief and love intertwined.
Yocheved and Izhar Lipshitz at the funeral of Oded Lipshitz. Photo: Paulina Pettimer via Ynet
Dignitaries, fellow former hostages, and families of the abducted stood among the crowd. President Isaac Herzog, Knesset member Benny Gantz, and survivors Gadi Mozes, Tami Metzger, Ruthie Munder, Einav Tsengauker and her daughter Natalie, Ilana Grichevsky and Sylvia Cuneo paid their respects.
In his eulogy, Herzog honoured Oded as “the embodiment of the Israeli spirit in its purest form—an Israeli, a Zionist, a Jew, a humanist. A man who loved his people and all people. A kibbutznik, a pioneer, a warrior, a settler, a dedicated member of Hashomer Hatzair, a man of conviction and action, and, above all, a devoted family man.”
With deep sorrow, he apologised that Israel had been unable to bring him home alive, calling for a reckoning over the failures of 7 October as “a critical milestone on the road to healing, rebuilding, and strengthening our nation.”
Hundreds paying tribute at the burial of Oded Lipshitz. Pic: via Ynet
Diplomats from Germany, Britain, and Poland spoke briefly. German Ambassador Steffen Seibert, addressing the mourners in Hebrew, lamented, “Hamas murdered this man who was a Jew – and did not see the good he had done. His life is the message for me, and it is stronger than terror. To love, to create, to help others.”
British ambassador Simon Walters echoed the sentiment: “We hoped he would return. It is a terrible tragedy for this man of peace, who believed in coexistence—not out of naivety, but out of love for Israel.”
Then came the words that cut deepest – those of Yocheved, his wife of 67 years. “Dear Oded, it is strange and inconceivable to stand before you like this. The stage was always yours. You wrote, I photographed. We built a family, a generation to be proud of. I see you in our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren. We raised them, we raised cacti, we travelled, we gave our grandchildren the world.”
But that world betrayed them. “Our kidnapping and your death shake me. We fought for peace and justice, yet we suffered a brutal blow from those we tried to help.”
People pay their respects during the funeral process of slain hostage Oded Lifshitz, in Rishon Lezion, February 25, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Their son, Arnon, spoke with quiet defiance. “I saw you and mum always together – love of family, grandchildren and granddaughter. Mum, the ‘Queen Mother,’ became the symbol of the struggle. Now you have returned home, to Nir Oz – the kibbutz from which you were kidnapped.
“You were proud to see that your humanistic education created heroes. You did not seek revenge, only rehabilitation and light. Rest in peace, Dad. We will drink a glass of Absolut blueberry in your memory.”
(L-R) German ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert, British ambassador Simon Walters, Polish ambassafor Maciej Hunia speak at the funeral of murdered hostage Oded Lifshitz, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, February 25, 2025. (screenshot)
Tami Metzger and Gadi Moses at the funeral of Oded Lipshitz. Pic: Ynet
Residents of Rishon LeZion with Israeli flags at the funeral procession( Photo: Rishon LeZion Municipalit
