Israel recovers bodies of two Hamas hostages in Gaza, including 59-year-old dad
The Israeli military recovered the bodies of two dead hostages in southern Gaza Wednesday night, including a 59-year-old dad who was killed during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
The Israel Defense Forces swept through an area of Khan Younis flagged by the Shin Bet intelligence agency, with soldiers finding the bodies of Yair Yaakov, 59, and another hostage who has yet to be publicly identified.
'Alongside the pain and mourning, we feel a measure of relief knowing that the two will be laid to rest with dignity — and that the unbearable suffering their loved ones have endured for 614 days may now be eased, if only slightly,' the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
3 The body of Yair Yaakov, 59, was recovered from southern Gaza Wednesday night.
Instagram/@remember_yaya_7.10
3 Yaakov was killed during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, with Islamic Jihad gunmen ransacking his home.
Instagram/@remember_yaya_7.10
Yaakov was killed by the Islamic Jihad terror group in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 attack, with the gunmen taking his body back to Gaza.
Yaakov's partner, Meirav Tal, and his sons, Or and Yagil, were also kidnapped in the terrorist attack, but they were eventually released during the November 2023 hostage exchange.
While officials did not identify the other victim recovered from Khan Younis, they said the captive had been kidnapped from Nir Oz.
Kibbutz Nir Oz was one of the worst-hit communities of the Oct. 7 attack, with Hamas terrorists killing 47 people and kidnapping another 76.
3 Yaakov's two sons were also kidnapped during the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Instagram/@remember_yaya_7.10
'Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their dearest,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
The operation came less than a week after the IDF recovered the bodies of Americans Judy Weinstein-Haggai, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 72, who were also killed during the attack in Nir Oz.
The Israeli military has also located the body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta, who was working in an Israeli field when he was killed and kidnapped by Hamas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz touted his military's expanded operation in Gaza for the recovery efforts, saying one of the goals of occupying the enclave was to return the bodies of the slain hostages.
Israel estimates that there are still 53 hostages remaining in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
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