Captain Daniel Perez was murdered in the October 7 massacre. His body was returned to Israel on October 13, 2025. His father, Rabbi Doron, was recently elected WZO president.
The Israeli Defense Forces discovered weapons belonging to slain hostage Captain Daniel Peres in a booby-trapped compound in the northern Gaza Strip, the military confirmed on Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces shared a photo of soldiers retrieving weapons and bombs inside a compound.
Perez was born in South Africa and moved to Yad Ben Yameen with his family in 2014. He is the company commander of the 77th Battalion, 7th Armored Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.
He was killed by infiltrated Hamas terrorists in the October 7 massacre and his body was taken into the Gaza Strip. He later returned on October 13, 2025.
An IDF infographic shows that on December 8, 2025, a terrorist booby bomb was found in the compound where the weapon of slain hostage IDF Captain Daniel Peres was found. (Image source: Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Unit)
At the time, he was praised by key figures in the South African diaspora community and in Israel, including President Isaac Herzog and the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. On October 15, Eyal Zamir was present at his resting place in Har Herzl.
Father of fallen soldier elected WZO president
Perez’s father, Rabbi Doron Perez, was elected president of the World Zionist Organization after an alliance agreement was reached at the World Zionist Congress in November.
Michael Starr and The Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.
