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When Michel Illouz slowly made his way through the masses beneath the cypress trees and palm trees at the cemetery in Ra'anana, a community located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, he expressed gratitude to numerous participants as he could.

Previously he offered an welcoming message to the nation's citizens to join his family in grieving his young adult son, Guy, whose physical form had been returned from Gaza on Monday.

Substantial Gathering

Numerous people answered the invitation. They filled the roads, accompanied the funeral vehicle carrying his remains, and arrived at the burial site in such large quantities that the original plan to stage the memorial indoors had to be abandoned.

Instead, the gathering was conducted in the open air, set to the sound of singing birds.

Notable Occasion

This signified the opening memorial service since the remaining 20 living hostages were returned from Gaza, together with seven bodies. Another more than twenty of the fallen captives continue to be lost, but at minimum this family now had a particular spot to mourn and remember their son, per close acquaintances.

Tragic Story

Guy Illouz, a musician and sound technician, had been shot in the back at the Nova concert event during the Hamas offensive on October 7, 2023. Earlier that morning, he had reached out to his father from a sheltered spot to tell him he cared; to bid farewell. He was seized, and according to those held with him, he subsequently passed away from his injuries due to lack of treatment.

Family Perspective

A close acquaintance of the Illouz relatives, Michelle, in her fifth decade, mentioned that it had been extremely important to them that the public gathered today. The Illouz household, encompassing Guy's siblings and male sibling, had undertaken the traditional grieving process, the extended period of grieving, after being informed of his death in December of the year before. But now that Guy was ultimately back with them, they desired "caring community again."

"It warms my heart that you came," said Michel. "Your presence is deeply appreciated."

Dad's Eulogy

He spoke to his son. "Beloved Guy," he said, using a loving expression, "it's hard for me to conceive the future without you. They took you from me – they murdered you – they captured my essence and stole my identity and murdered my soul and feelings."

"There's a void within me since that meaningless attack by those malicious militants when they seized you and told you to turn around, and then merely shot two gratuitous rounds into your posterior."

Final Goodbye

"Thus I stood this morning, heading toward Abu Kabir medical examiner's office to identify you and bid farewell. They took off the covering, and the initial sight I saw was that characteristic grin, that hopeful nature, that serenity and dignity that so characterized you."

"I made contact, tried to sense your aroma, caressed every bone in your body. I saw you, I was alone with you, and yes, I felt with absolute certainty that it was you. Yes, I know, Guy-shuk, that you've returned to us. You've rejoined your relatives' care, to all your friends, and to the numerous individuals whose hearts your experience impacted."

Parental Resilience

In the beginning phase of the service, Illouz had dedicated all his efforts on supporting his junior family members. He gently touched the locks of his daughters, supported his male child, kissed his neck and maintained composure for them. But then his emotions surfaced.

Precious Moments

"I'll miss so much journeying together through this land, feeling you, hearing your music, relaxing in mountainous areas and activating the stove to create the drink the way only you knew how – 'Dad, do you see the coffee foam? You have to boil it gently, let the bubbles form, then boil it again. Mix the beverage with circular motions' – and then your grin while sipping the coffee and your delight in every single drop."

"Before I left Abu Kabir today, I honored my word. I gazed upon you, inhaled your essence one ultimate occasion, and yes, I planted a kiss on the forehead. I was able to see your handsomeness even in the condition in which you were repatriated."

Final Words

"My Guy-shuk, I adore you completely, I treasure you. I will yearn for you every moment and minute of my existence. Rest now, my sweet one, repose after a passage of 24 months through unexplored dimensions to us. I hold you dear, my beloved son, my treasured initial offspring."