'Today you are finally home': Oz Daniel laid to rest after two years in Hamas captivity

Many came with Israeli flags as a tribute.

"After two years of waiting, of prayers, of sleepless nights, today you are finally home," Merav Daniel, Daniel's mother, said. "Not in the way I hoped to see you, not as I imagined the day I would welcome you back. You are finally here, on the soil of the land you loved so deeply, the land you swore to protect."

"An entire nation around the world waited with us, a nation that walked this long road beside us, that rose with us each morning thinking of you, that carried you in their hearts, in their prayers," she went on.

"Today, all those people are here, standing by your side, saying to you, 'Welcome home,' And saying: thank you."

Merav Daniel continued, noting that Daniel was not alone when he was taken, naming Captain Omer Neutra, who was laid to rest on Friday in Givat Shaul, Nimrod Cohen, who was released by Hamas in October as part of US President Donald Trump's Gaza deal, and Shaked Dahan.

Oz's father, Amir Daniel, mentioned the family of Hadar Goldin, who "has been waiting for 11 years," in his eulogy. "We were lucky to have Oz returned, but they are still waiting. So today we remember and remind everyone that there are still six hostages who have not returned."

"I am the proudest father in the world," Amir Daniel said. "There is no one prouder than me in the world, and equally, the most heartbroken in the world. We feel Oz with us always. He is with us, hears us, and remains with us."

"This is my time to prove that even though I am the most broken, I am the greatest believer in my people, in this incredible generation that exists nowhere else in the world," Amir Daniel continued. "The people of Israel live forever. May the Lord give strength to His people. May the Lord bless His people with peace."

He also addressed Eizenkot, saying, "I think you're one of the most honorable, stately, and significant people in Israel, despite, and perhaps because of, the burden you carry on your back."

"At one of the central events, you knew how to take responsibility. It is reflected in the way you lead and in every conversation with you. I wish you, from the bottom of my heart, a happy life with your family," Amir Daniel concluded.

"Oz, I had so many questions," Hadar Daniel, Oz's twin sister, began her eulogy. "What went through your mind in those final moments? What did you feel in that moment? What did you see?"

"My Oz, you were and always will be the best brother I could have asked for. Let there be no doubt about that," she said. "When we were young, I always made sure to emphasize that I'm the older one by 12 minutes, which essentially makes you my little brother. I knew it annoyed you, and it always made me laugh, so I'll take this opportunity to say I'm sorry, but not for doing it. Just a preemptive sorry for the fact that I'll probably keep saying it until my last day."

"I love you, my brother. You are with me forever," she ended. "Your sister, who is older than you by 12 minutes, Hadar."

Former commander of the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade, Col. Elad Tsuri, also eulogized Daniel during the funeral.

"On October 7, the IDF failed in the most basic mission entrusted to it, to protect the citizens of Israel," Tsuri began. "In the difficult hours, you fought alongside your friends and did everything in your power to fulfill an impossible mission, to the last drop of blood."

"When the black and suffocating smoke began to dissipate, as we continued fighting and preparing for the next battles, I hoped, we all hoped, that you were alive, and with that hope, we went into battle. The noise of tank tracks never stopped. The 7th Brigade, the armored corps, the IDF, and the security forces continued the long, hard, and just fight against the ruthless enemy."

"The fighters and commanders of the 7th Brigade and the Oz 77 Battalion, like your name, fought with courage in all the sectors, led the difficult battles with determination and bravery, to return you and all our brothers in captivity, and restore security to the residents of the south and north," Tsuri continued.

"Oz, every day and every hour of the fighting, even under the hardest conditions, you and your friends, the heroes of the battles of that Saturday morning, were at the front of our minds, and we even searched in different areas to bring you to a worthy resting place earlier, but unfortunately, we failed."

"These are complex days," Tsuri went on, mentioning the struggle in feeling both joy at the returned hostages, including Nimrod Cohen and Matan Angrest, and the pain of mourning the slain hostages and fallen soldiers. "With your return and the return of Omer and Itai this week, may their memory be a blessing, the 7th Brigade unites and salutes, bows its head, and honors you with the respect you deserve."

Tsuri commended Daniel's family for their warmth and their love, saying that the "7th Brigade and Battalion 77 will continue to embrace you and be there for you always. We will continue to act in Oz's way, with humility, professionalism, and camaraderie."

"And we can say to you, Oz, your battle and your fall are what allow life and growth in the area and the country in general today. I salute you. May your memory be a blessing."

Herzog also spoke at the funeral, offering his condolences to Daniel's family, calling Daniel and Neutra's team heroes.

"When red alerts split the air, and the land was chaos and darkness over the abyss," Herzog said, "long before the full scope of the disaster became clear, long before forces began to gather to return fire and save the settlements, to push back the agents of Satan, Hamas terrorists, a team of heroes sprang into action."