Israel
Hamas and PIJ return body of Meny Godard
The former pro footballer and Kibbutz Be’ri resident was murdered on October 7 – just three hostages remain following his return
November 14, 2025 11:17
The former pro footballer and Kibbutz Be’ri resident was murdered on October 7 – just three hostages remain following his return
November 14, 2025 11:17Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has returned the remains of Meny Godard, 73, overnight.
His body was transferred to the IDF via the Red Cross in Gaza and taken back to Israel, where forensic testing confirmed his identity.
Crowds of Israelis lined the road as he was transported to the Abu Kabir forensic lab in Tel Aviv to pay their respects, with many holding Israeli flags and yellow hostage banners.
Meny had been a professional footballer in the 1970s, before serving in the IDF during the Yom Kippur War.
He had held numerous positions within the kibbutz community, including as Be'ri's chief economist and lifeguard.
He was murdered along with his wife Ayelet by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who invaded Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023.
His body was abducted to Gaza and held by the group for more than two years.
In a eulogy, the kibbutz remembered Meny as having "a love of sports, the ocean and people".
The couple's son, Goni, added: "[They were] people with a special heart of gold… Everyone wanted to say thank you.
"Thank you for all the years that you hugged us and loved us. Thank you for the endless support and help. Thank you for all the experiences we had with you.”
“These are the people you were — people who spread light in every direction, people of people, thank you for everything,
“You will always, always, no matter what, be an inseparable part of us.”
Meny and Ayelet are survived by their children, Mor, Gal, Bar, and Goni, and several grandchildren.
His return, following the return of Lior Rudaeff over the weekend, brings the number of hostages still held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza down to three: Ran Gvili, Dror Or and Sudthisak Rinthalak
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