Kibbutz Nir Oz announced on Tuesday that hostage Avraham Munder was killed in Gaza captivity.
The IDF said on Tuesday it had retrieved the body of Avraham Munder, along with that of five other hostages, from the Khan Yunis area in Gaza on Monday overnight in a joint operation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
'Known for his warm nature'
"With profound sorrow, Kibbutz Nir Oz announces the murder of Avraham Munder while held hostage in Gaza, after enduring months of physical and mental torture," the Kibbutz's statement read.
He "was known for his warm nature and deep love of singing," the kibbutz added.
Munder fought and was wounded in the Six-Day War, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Munder's nephew told KAN Reshet Bet earlier that his uncle's body had been recovered from Gaza and that "it's sad that a person who participated in liberating Jerusalem and answered the call to develop communities in the Negev had his life ended by being thrown aside in a tunnel in Khan Yunis."
Munder, 79, worked in the Nirlat factory on the kibbutz. He was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip on October 7 along with his wife Ruti, his daughter Keren, and his nine-year-old grandson Ohad, who were released in the November hostage deal following 49 days in captivity.
His son, Roee, was murdered on October 7.
Munder's daughter, Keren, addressed her father in a recording published on KAN Reshet Bet earlier this month. "300 days, father, that the sun rises by us every morning and you are in the dark. 300 days, father, and I am ashamed, I ask you for forgiveness."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed their condolences to Munder's family following the announcement of his death. "This morning's devastating news about Abraham Munder's murder is further proof of the urgency to finalize and implement the deal to bring back all the hostages," the organization said in an official statement. "Abraham was captured alive and endured agonizing captivity alongside his loved ones. He should have returned home alive to his family. His murder in captivity underscores the delay in implementing the deal that could have saved his life and the lives of other hostages."
The Forum stressed that the Israeli government must approve of a deal that will see the release of the remaining hostages.