While Michel Illouz slowly made his way through the throngs beneath the cypress trees and palm trees at the burial ground in Ra'anana, a city located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, he thanked people to countless visitors as feasible.
Earlier he provided an welcoming message to the nation's citizens to accompany his loved ones in mourning his twenty-six-year-old son, Guy, whose body had been returned from Gaza on Monday.
Substantial Gathering
Numerous people answered the invitation. They occupied the avenues, followed the hearse carrying his remains, and gathered at the cemetery in such significant numbers that the initial arrangement to conduct the memorial indoors had to be abandoned.
Rather, the event was organized outdoors, accompanied by the melody of birdsong.
Notable Occasion
This represented the initial burial ceremony since the last two dozen captives were returned from Gaza, accompanied by multiple remains. A further 21 of the dead prisoners continue to be lost, but at the very minimum this household now had a particular spot to grieve and honor their son, according to close acquaintances.
Sorrowful Account
Guy Illouz, a performer and sound technician, had been targeted in his posterior at the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Prior to the incident, he had called his father from a concealed location to express his love; to bid farewell. He was taken hostage, and based on those held with him, he subsequently passed away from his injuries due to lack of treatment.
Relative's Viewpoint
A family friend of the Illouz relatives, Michelle, fifty years old, mentioned that it had been crucial to them that people attended today. The Illouz household, including Guy's siblings and male sibling, had observed shiva, the week-long period of bereavement, after discovering of his passing in December of the previous year. But now that Guy was finally back with them, they required "people around them again."
"It warms my heart that you attended," stated Michel. "This means everything to us."
Dad's Eulogy
He spoke to his son. "My Guy-shuk," he said, using a affectionate nickname, "it's difficult for me to envision the future without you. They took you from me – they killed you – they stole my being and took my sense of self and destroyed my spirit and emotional core."
"There's a void within me since that meaningless attack by those evil terrorists when they caught you and instructed you to turn around, and then simply fired two needless bullets into your dorsal area."
Final Goodbye
"So I found myself this morning, driving to Abu Kabir medical examiner's office to verify your remains and part ways. They took off the covering, and the primary view I noticed was that familiar expression, that hopeful nature, that serenity and grace that so characterized you."
"I reached out, tried to detect your scent, caressed every bone in your body. I saw you, I was alone with you, and yes, I felt with total assurance that it was you. Yes, I know, Guy-shuk, that you've returned to us. You've returned to your loved ones' arms, to all your close associates, and to the numerous individuals whose feelings your story affected."
Parental Resilience
Throughout the initial segment of the memorial, Illouz had concentrated completely on comforting his smaller offspring. He tenderly caressed the strands of his girls, embraced his boy, kissed his neck and composed himself for them. But then his voice broke.
Treasured Recollections
"I'll miss so much journeying together through this country, experiencing your company, hearing your music, resting on elevated terrain and activating the stove to create the drink the way only you knew how – 'Father, do you see the coffee bubbles? You have to boil it gently, let the bubbles form, then heat it once more. Stir the coffee with spinning actions' – and then your smile while sipping the coffee and your pleasure in every single drop."
"Earlier than my exit Abu Kabir today, I kept my promise. I observed you, breathed you in one last time, and yes, I bestowed affection on the front of your head. I was able to see your attractiveness even in the condition in which you returned to us."
Ultimate Expression
"My dear son, I love you so much, I treasure you. I will yearn for you every moment and tiny segment of my time. Find peace, my beloved son, relax after a passage of two years through worlds unknown to us. I care for you, my Guy-shuk, my beloved firstborn son."
