The family of Tal Haimi, whose body was returned after months in captivity, said they can finally begin the healing process.

"The Haimi family has returned home to Nir Yitzhak in full. Our journey is over, the next chapter of our lives begins," said Ela Haimi, wife of Tal Haimi.

Israel confirmed that Hamas released the body of Haimi, who was killed in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.

He was taken from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on the Gaza border. The 42-year-old was a fourth-generation resident of the kibbutz and part of its emergency response team.

He had four children, including one born after the attack.

Giving a statement on Tuesday, Haimi’s cousin said that efforts must continue until the body of the last hostage is released, and that the war must end for the sake of a better future for the region.

"The road to a non-violent coexistence begins by fulfilling the first clause of this agreement: bringing every single hostage back home," he said.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 deceased hostages.

Thirteen bodies have been released since the ceasefire began.

Under the deal, Israel is releasing 15 bodies for the remains of each dead hostage, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.

It said Israel had transferred the bodies of another 15 Palestinians to Gaza, for a total of 165 since earlier this month.

AP video shot by Srdjan Nedeljkovic