The body of an Israeli hostage who advocates say “fought heroically” to defend his community during a “fierce battle” Oct. 7, 2023, has been returned by terrorists for burial, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The Israeli military announced that Lior Rudaeff, 61, was given back after he “fell during battle while defending his community during the Oct. 7 Massacre” and “was taken captive by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.”

“Lior is brought home after 763 days,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said on Saturday. “On the morning of October 7th, Lior, with the emergency response team of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, fought heroically near the kibbutz gate and stopped many terrorists.

“After a fierce battle, Lior was killed, and his body was kidnapped to Gaza along with Tal Haimi of blessed memory, whose body was later returned for burial.”

TRUMP SAYS MORE NATIONS LINING UP TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS AFTER KAZAKHSTAN

The IDF said Rudaeff’s death was confirmed May 7, 2024. He leaves behind his wife and four children.

“The IDF expresses deep condolences to the family, continues to make every effort to return all the deceased hostages, and is prepared for the continued implementation of the agreement,” it said in reference to an ongoing ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.

“Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to a dignified burial.”

IRAN-DIRECTED PLOT TO ASSASSINATE ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO THWARTED, OFFICIALS REVEAL

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Rudaeff was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel at the age of 7.

“Those close to him say he had a generous spirit and volunteered for 40 years as an ambulance driver in the Eshkol Regional Council and as a member of the Nir Yitzhak emergency response team. He always volunteered first and extended a helping hand to everyone,” it added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

As of Saturday, the organization said, the bodies of five deceased hostages remain held in the Gaza Strip.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s next mayor has sent a chill across Israel as people come to terms with the victory of a politician propelled by an outspoken pro-Palestinian message that is rare in U.S. politics.

Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Mamdani’s election — in the city with the world’s second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the U.S., Israel’s most important ally. Support for Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain.

“Very bad,” said Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, assessing the news the day after the election. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it’s very bad. What else can you say?”

Mamdani’s campaign was animated by an array of local economic issues, such as the lack of affordable child care and housing. But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters, and it was the strongest illustration yet of a change in attitudes showing a softening of support for Israel among the American public — particularly younger, Democratic voters. This change appears to have been expedited by anger over the brutal war in Gaza launched in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel.

Israeli government officials expressed their outrage sharply, labeling Mamdani, who is Muslim, as an Israel-hating antisemite. Analysts said their heavy-handed reactions indicated just how concerned they are about the shifting political winds.

“Even where there is a huge concentration of Jewish power, Jewish money, Jewish cultural and political influence — even in this place, an American can be elected with a clear anti-Israeli label on his lapel,” wrote Shmuel Rosner, an analyst at the Jewish People Policy Institute.

“What he did proves that standing up against Israel … can be politically profitable, or at least not harmful.”

Israelis react to the news

Israel has traditionally had a special connection with New York City. It is a popular destination for Israeli tourists and politicians, filled with kosher restaurants and home to an Israeli consulate that focuses heavily on relations with the Jewish community. Hebrew can often be heard on the streets and subways.

But throughout his campaign, the 34-year-old Mamdani, a far-left state lawmaker, alarmed Israelis by openly disavowing the pro-Israel stance traditionally adopted by New York’s mayoral hopefuls.

While he says he supports Israel’s right to exist, he describes any state or social hierarchy that favors Jews over others as incompatible with his belief in universal human rights.

That’s a statement many Israelis view as an affront to the core premise of the country, which was founded as a refuge and homeland for Jews in the aftermath of the Holocaust. This vision has tested Israel’s democratic ideals; Palestinian citizens of Israel frequently suffer discrimination, and millions of Palestinians live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank.

Mamdani also has called the war in Gaza a genocide, a charge Israel’s government denies. He’s vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the premier steps foot in the city and signaled he may cut ties with Israeli industry and academia over the devastating war in Gaza.

Such views have drawn accusations of antisemitism from mainstream Jewish groups and supporters of Israel. Still, Mamdani has repeatedly committed to fighting antisemitism and developed strong alliances with center-left Jewish leaders. The AP Voter Poll found that he won roughly 30% of the Jewish vote.

At his celebration party Tuesday night, Mamdani said, “we will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism.”

Israelis who tuned in Wednesday morning to the country’s popular Army Radio station during their morning commutes heard condemnations — and fear — related to Mamdani’s victory. Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, speculated that the New York “Jewish community’s sense of security” might be harmed by Mamdani as mayor, as he has control over the city’s police force.

Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, a member of Netanyahu’s nationalist Likud party, posted a stream of anti-Mamdani graphics on social media, including a retweeted photo of the Twin Towers being engulfed in flames after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with the caption “New York already forgot.”

Chikli also encouraged Jews in New York to relocate to Israel. “The city that was once a symbol of global freedom has handed over its keys to a Hamas supporter,” he said in a social media post.

The extreme rhetoric reflected a deep-seated fear in Israel that American politics are headed in a new direction.

“For a long, long time, American domestic politics were dominated by pro-Israel politicians, pro-Israel views. In large part, they still are,” said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group. “Mamdani’s win represents that American Jews, specifically the younger generation, are changing and there’s no longer this monopoly of pro-Israel politics in domestic U.S. politics.”

Netanyahu mostly quiet on Mamdani, emphasizes relationship with Trump

The Trump administration, which has been hostile to Mamdani, has largely supported Israel’s actions in Gaza. It is now working closely with Israel to determine the next phases of the reconstruction of Gaza and the ceasefire with Hamas.

Netanyahu did not immediately comment on the Mamdani win. But his office tried Wednesday to remind Israelis that the country’s relationship with the U.S. was still strong.

“We have a bond that is stronger than ever between Israel and the United States right now,” government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said at her daily briefing.

She said the election results did not “undermine the incredible, enormous relationship the prime minister has with President Trump.”

Palestinians celebrate Mamdani’s win

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the sentiment among Palestinians was far from gloomy.

“The election of Mr. Mamdani is truly inspiring,” said Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti. “It reflects a great uprising among the younger generation of the United States, including the Jewish young generation, against political and social injustice.”

“It also shows that the Palestinian issue has become an internal election issue all over the world, including in the United States of America.”