Israel-Hamas war: Israel recovers bodies of 2 hostages from Gaza; over 50 still held captive
Israeli military confirmed the recovery of the bodies of two hostages from Gaza on Thursday. One of them was identified as Yair Yaakov, aged 59, who was killed during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the recovery operation in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as 'complex.'
Yaakov's body was taken into Gaza after the October 7 attack. His partner and two children were also captured but were later released as part of a ceasefire deal.
According to reports from the Associated Press, 148 hostages had been released through various exchanges and deals between Israel and Hamas.
However, eight of those released were already dead. In addition, Israeli forces had retrieved the bodies of 46 hostages and successfully rescued eight others alive.
The first phase of the ceasefire began on January 19 and involved several rounds of hostage-prisoner exchanges, but it collapsed after two months. On March 18, Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza, effectively ending the truce.
Currently, 53 hostages are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza. Of these, 30 are already dead according to Israeli officials.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had acknowledged uncertainty about the fate of several others. Among the hostages still held were four non-Israelis, two Thai nationals, one Tanzanian, and one Nepalese, three of whom had been confirmed dead.
The war began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli government figures.
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