Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said two bodies of hostages were retrieved from Gaza in a collaborative operation by Israel’s military and the country’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet.
One of the captives was named as Yair Yaakov, who was kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in the October 7, 2023, cross-border raid on southern Israel. The second person’s identity is not yet available to be disclosed, awaiting clearance.
Yaakov was abducted along with his partner, Meirav Tal, and two of his children, Or and Yagil, by the Israeli army, they said. His partner and children were released but Yaakov, 59 years, was murdered in captivity. The military added that both bodies were found in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza and that the families had been informed.
This new operation brings the number of hostages whose bodies have been recovered this month to five. There are now 53 hostages remaining in Gaza, and less than half are reported to be believed to be alive.
The October 7th attack by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza killed about 1,200 individuals in Israel and took 251 more captive. Israel retaliated with a long-term military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Gaza health officials report that close to 55,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, but the tally does not distinguish between militants and civilians.
The latest fighting continues to bring global anxiety, especially over the humanitarian cost and the whereabouts of those who remain hostages in Gaza.