The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retrieved the bodies of two Israeli hostages from Gaza, where they had been held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, according to an announcement on Friday.
In a statement, the IDF said:
The body of Ilan Weiss was recovered from the Gaza Strip in an IDF operation, along with findings linked to another deceased hostage, whose name has not yet been cleared for publication.
The complex rescue operation was carried out by IDF troops of the Southern Command, in coordination with the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the ISA [Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet], and other special forces. The operation was made possible due to precise intelligence from the Hostages and Missing Headquarters, the Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA.
Ilan Weiss, a member of Kibbutz Be’eri, was brutally murdered and abducted from his home by Hamas terrorists on October 7th 2023. He was 55 years old at the time of his death. After his abduction, his wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were also kidnapped, and were later returned as part of the previous hostage release agreement in November 2023.
Following an identification process conducted at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police, the Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters in the Manpower Directorate notified his family and the Be’eri community.
The process of identifying the additional deceased hostage in the National Center for Forensic Medicine is still ongoing. The Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters has notified the family.
The IDF and ISA extend their condolences to the families and will continue every effort possible to bring all the hostages home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also offered his condolences to the families of the fallen: “Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their deep sorrow.”
He added: “I thank our commanders and fighters for their successful action, determination and bravery.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog added: “The world must show moral clarity, apply pressure, and act for the immediate release of all the hostages. We will not rest until every one of them is brought home, the living to the loving embrace of their families, and the fallen to be laid to rest in dignity. Every last one.”
There are now 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, some 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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