🔗 Share this article

As Michel Illouz gradually progressed through the throngs beneath the Mediterranean pines and palm trees at the cemetery in Ra'anana, a urban center located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, he expressed gratitude to as many attendees as feasible.

He had extended an open call to the local community to join his family in honoring the memory of his twenty-six-year-old son, Guy, whose body had been brought back from Gaza on Monday.

Overwhelming Response

Countless individuals heeded the call. They lined the streets, processed behind the coffin transport carrying his body, and gathered at the memorial grounds in such significant numbers that the primary scheme to stage the ceremony indoors had to be discarded.

As an alternative, the ceremony was held outdoors, accompanied by the sound of singing birds.

Notable Occasion

This marked the initial burial ceremony since the final two dozen captives came back from Gaza, together with multiple remains. A further more than twenty of the fallen captives are still unaccounted for, but at minimum this household now had a specific place to express sorrow and honor their son, per friends.

Heartbreaking Narrative

Guy Illouz, a artist and recording specialist, had been shot in the back at the Nova concert event during the Hamas offensive on October 7, 2023. Before the tragedy unfolded, he had called his father from a sheltered spot to tell him he cared; to say goodbye. He was captured, and per those imprisoned alongside him, he later died from his wounds due to inadequate care.

Relative's Viewpoint

A family friend of the Illouz family, Michelle, in her fifth decade, stated that it had been crucial to them that individuals came today. The Illouz household, comprising Guy's female relatives and male sibling, had observed shiva, the week-long period of grieving, after being informed of his death in December of the year before. But now that Guy was finally back with them, they desired "people around them again."

"This brings me comfort that you came," expressed Michel. "This means everything to us."

Dad's Eulogy

He turned to his son. "My Guy-shuk," he uttered, using a affectionate nickname, "it's hard for me to imagine the future without you. They took you from me – they killed you – they kidnapped me and robbed my persona and destroyed my spirit and heart."

"There's a void within me since that pointless violence by those malicious militants when they apprehended you and instructed you to turn around, and then merely shot two unnecessary shots into your dorsal area."

Final Goodbye

"Thus I stood this morning, traveling to Abu Kabir medical examiner's office to confirm your identity and say goodbye. They unveiled the shroud, and the first thing I noticed was that smile of yours, that positive outlook, that calm demeanor and grace that so defined you."

"I touched you, tried to smell you, tenderly touched all areas in your body. I looked at you, I was by myself with you, and yes, I felt with absolute certainty that it was you. Yes, I know, Guy-shuk, that you've rejoined our family. You've rejoined your relatives' care, to all your close associates, and to the numerous individuals whose emotions your experience impacted."

Family Strength

Throughout the initial segment of the ceremony, Illouz had focused entirely on consoling his smaller offspring. He gently touched the locks of his female children, held his son, demonstrated love and maintained composure for them. But then his voice broke.

Treasured Recollections

"I'll miss so much traveling with you through this nation, experiencing your company, hearing your music, sitting in the hills and lighting the burner to prepare the beverage the way only you understood – 'Dad, do you see the coffee bubbles? You have to simmer it carefully, let the foam rise, then heat it once more. Stir the coffee with circular motions' – and then your smile while tasting the beverage and your pleasure in every single drop."

"Prior to my departure Abu Kabir today, I fulfilled my commitment. I looked at you, absorbed your presence one last time, and yes, I planted a kiss on the forehead. I was able to see your attractiveness even in the state in which you were repatriated."

Ultimate Expression

"My Guy-shuk, I love you so much, I cherish you. I will yearn for you every second and brief period of my life. Rest now, my dear child, relax after a journey of multiple seasons through worlds unknown to us. I care for you, my beloved son, my beloved firstborn son."