Thousands of Israelis, including senior officials, participated today, Monday, in a symbolic funeral for the highest-ranking military commander killed during the current war on the Gaza Strip, whose body is still in the custody of Hamas.

Israel announced on Saturday the death of Colonel Asaf Hamami (41 years old), commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division, the division responsible for enforcing the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The traces of the senior Israeli officer were lost on October 7th, during Hamas's unprecedented surprise attack on Israeli positions surrounding the Strip.

However, it became clear to the Israeli army, according to undisclosed data, that Hamami was killed, and Hamas fighters took his body into the Gaza Strip.

Earlier news reports mentioned that Tel Aviv believes Hamas holds dozens of bodies of Israeli soldiers whom they killed on October 7th.

Participating in Asaf Hamami’s funeral held in Tel Aviv were Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, former Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Gadi Eisenkot, Gabi Ashkenazi, and a large number of current and former officials.

Galant, who wore black clothes, praised the killed officer, describing him as one of the senior military leaders killed since the start of the war.

He mentioned that his voice echoed over the radio when Hamas fighters breached the border, announcing the start of the fighting, and considered him one of the best leaders to appear in the Israeli army in recent years.

According to the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," the senior officer was killed during battles with Hamas fighters near Kibbutz Nirim, which is 7 kilometers from the Gaza border.

Hamami took over the command of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division last May.

The Israeli army says that 400 of its soldiers and officers have been killed since the war broke out on October 7, 75 of whom were killed in battles inside Gaza.