Director General Recounts Harrowing Efforts to Identify Oct. 7 Victims

Three years after the October 7th massacre, Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, has shared a detailed account of the chaotic and emotionally devastating process of identifying and handling the bodies of victims. Avidan described the initial shock and confusion on the morning of October 7th, realizing the scale of the tragedy when he saw images of the attacks. He immediately took charge of the civilian aspect of handling the casualties, bypassing bureaucratic channels to establish a system for transport, storage, and burial.

Avidan recounted establishing "Camp Shura" as a central processing site due to the deteriorating condition of the bodies and the need to uphold the dignity of the deceased. He described a complex situation with overlapping authorities from security forces, police, and the health ministry, asserting his legal responsibility for the identification process. The initial days were a race against time, coordinating information between different agencies to identify civilians who lacked military data.

The process involved immense pressure from families seeking answers, balanced against strict halachic and legal requirements for definitive identification. Avidan explained the reliance on DNA and fingerprinting, as family identification alone was insufficient after 24 hours. He highlighted the immense effort by organizations like ZAKA and the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, noting that nearly 700 civilian identifications were made in the first two weeks. The conditions of the bodies, often burned and severely mutilated, made identification extremely difficult and traumatic for families.

Avidan shared deeply personal and harrowing memories, including identifying a hostage by her tattoos and discovering a father and daughter, who had a special bond, buried together. He emphasized a sense of divine mission that suppressed personal emotions during the crisis, allowing for the difficult work to be done. He also revealed the establishment of a secret halachic committee, headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, to rule on complex death determinations and permit the remarriage of widows.

As a result of this traumatic experience, Avidan has spearheaded the development of national procedures for future emergencies, including a comprehensive government decision outlining a response flow for war or similar crises. He is also preparing protocols for earthquakes and potential disasters abroad, aiming to ensure a more organized and effective response in future catastrophic events.