Uncle of slain hostage Tal Haimi: ‘You fought like a lion’

The uncle of Tal Haimi, whose body was released by Hamas overnight, says his nephew and the civil defense squad at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak bravely fought the terrorists attacking their community on October 7.

“You fought like a lion with the defense squad, while no one came,” Zamir Haimi tells the Kan public broadcaster.

He says that the return of Tal’s body brought “a great mixture of emotions,” and notes that there are 15 more men whose bodies are still held by terror groups in the Gaza Strip.

Haimi and other members of the rapid response team battled the invading terrorists at the entrance to the kibbutz until he was shot dead. In December 2023, Tal’s family was informed based on intelligence that he had been killed on October 7 and his body taken hostage.

“You’re back home, blue-eyed child. An eternal 41-year-old boy,” Zamir Haimi writes on Facebook.

“We succeeded in bringing you home. Home to Ela, Nir, Einav, Udi and Lotan,” he writes. “Home to all the family that was waiting for you. Home to Nir Yitzhak.”

Haimi is survived by his wife Ela and four children. The youngest, Lotan, was born in May 2024, seven months after Tal was killed.