Israeli cancer sufferer, 65, kidnapped by Hamas and found dead by IDF forces was 'a warm and loving mother and grandmother', heartbroken son says

A cancer sufferer kidnapped by Hamas and later found dead by Israeli forces was a 'warm and loving mother and grandmother', her son has said in an emotional tribute.

Yehudit Weiss, 65, was receiving treatment for breast cancer when she was snatched by Hamas thugs in the October 7 raids on southern Israel.

Last week her body, and that of soldier Noa Marciano, 19, were found in buildings next to the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza - a site Israel says is being used as a Hamas control centre.

Speaking to local media site Walla! her son Omer, described how his mother's body was recovered by Israeli Defence Force soldiers in a dramatic operation.

He said: 'The forces went in there and tried to identify the body as quickly as possible.

'They arrived at a house near the hospital and found mother not alive, and she had been dead for at least two days.

'To our understanding, she did not die because of her medical condition but at the hands of murderers. It is possible that she was even kidnapped as a body.'

Mrs Weiss was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri and was among 239 people taken last month and her body and that of Corporal Noa are the first to have been recovered from Gaza.

Hamas has since released four hostages and claims it does not hold all those taken, as well as insisting a number have been killed during Israeli military bombardment or in panic attacks.

Mrs Weiss' husband Shmulik was killed in the attack, and the family were informed of the discovery of her body shortly after a memorial service for him.

In a statement on social media Israeli authorities said: 'We are devasted to share that the body of Yehudit Weiss, a 65-year-old Israeli woman, who was taken hostage and murdered by Hamas was found in a structure near the Al-Shifa Hospital.

'Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs were also found in the structure. Yehudit was a cancer patient whose husband Shmulik was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

'May Yehudit's memory be a blessing.'

Omer said that he and the family were informed of his mother's death by police and social workers who had arrived at a friend's house following the memorial.

He added: 'There is no information about father, bodies were recovered under fire and he was probably murdered at home.

'We didn't know about mother either, they only said that she was probably kidnapped.

'She was a warm and loving mother and grandmother. She had five children and five grandchildren. She was always busy with care.

'She started as a kindergarten teacher and was a manager in the nursing field for the elderly.

'She was 65 years old, retired, but her schedule was always full. One day a week with each grandchild. She always helped us in everything and kept the family together.'

Omer revealed that his parents had sent a desperate text message the morning of the attack and revealed that had hoped it was just a 'brief incursion'.

He went on: 'Then they said they were hearing non-stop gunshots, a bunch of terrorists were inside the kibbutz.

'The last message came though at 9.50am and she said the terrorists were hanging around outside the house.

'A minute later another message came through to saying "they have come again, they are shooting at us, save us".

Her funeral service is due to take place on Sunday in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv and she will be buried alongside her husband.