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Burial of Elitzur Hajbi Marks Third Anniversary of October 7 Massacre
By Drooid · · How we work
The Final Burial
On the Wednesday that marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Elitzur Hajbi—identified as the last victim killed in the Moshav Yachini massacre—was interred after his remains were recovered from the home where he was slain. The burial followed a coordinated effort by ZAKA Search & Rescue, which was summoned by Hajbi’s family to open the sealed room that had remained inaccessible for three years.
Three Years of a Sealed Room
After the October 7 assault, Hajbi’s family could not enter the room where he was killed. While the rest of the house was cleaned and restored, the specific room stayed closed and “frozen in time” for three years. In the days leading up to the anniversary, the family chose to unlock the door and requested ZAKA’s assistance to retrieve and properly bury the remains.
ZAKA’s Role in the Recovery
ZAKA volunteers from the organization’s Sderot unit arrived with Deputy Director of Operations Chaim Weingarten and Rabbi Avi Deri, the commander for the Lachish region. The team spent several hours collecting the remains, working alongside Hajbi’s son and brother—an involvement noted as a departure from earlier, solitary recovery efforts.
Official Statements & Responses
Moshe Rosenberg, Executive Director of ZAKA US, emphasized that the family had endured three years of a “frozen” space and that opening the door allowed them to take a painful but necessary step toward closure. Rabbi Avi Deri highlighted the collaborative nature of the operation, noting that volunteers were no longer working alone among destroyed homes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Walking into that room this morning was a chilling closing of the circle,” — ZAKA Search
- “For three years, that room remained frozen in time for Elitzur’s family,” — Moshe Rosenberg, Executive Director of ZAKA US
- “Unlike three years ago, today we were not working alone among destroyed homes, but together with Elitzur’s son and brother,” — Rabbi Avi Deri
These statements and actions illustrate the culmination of a prolonged, emotionally charged process to honor a victim whose death has remained a focal point of remembrance for the community.