Israeli forces restore bodies to two hostages in Gaza, says the prime minister

Israeli security forces operating in Gaza have restored the bodies of two Israeli hostages, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He pointed to one of them as Jair (Yaya) Jacob, a 59-year-old father of three who was killed at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz by the Palestinian Islamic artillery during the attack by Hamas against South Israel on October 7, 2023.

His teenage sons, or both Yagil, and a partner, Marav Tal, were abducted alive and released in November 2023 as part of a transaction to end the fire between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu said that the name of the other hostage man was not released yet, but that his family had been informed.

There are already 53 hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza, at least 20 of which are thought to be alive.

The news about the restoration of Jair Jacob’s body initially came from his sons.

“Dad, I love you,” Yagil wrote in Instagram post on Wednesday night, according to the Haaretz newspaper. “I don’t know how to answer yet. It’s sad to say that. I’m waiting for your funeral, I love you and I knew that day it will come.”

Yagil also thanked the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security service and expressed hope that the other hostages “would be returned (back) in a deal that did not risk soldiers.”

Later, Netanyahu issued a statement that says: “Along with all Israel citizens, my wife and I expand our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their most loved ones.

“I thank the soldiers and commanders for another successful execution of the sacred mission to return our hostages.”

IDF said the hostage bodies were restored in the area of ​​Khan Einnis in South Gaza.

The operation was made possible through “precision intelligence” by his working group for hostages and intelligence directorate, as well as from the stake of SHIN, she added.

The hostage forum and missing families, who represents many hostage families, said in a statement that he “shakes his head in sorrow because of the murder of Yaya and shares in the deep sorrow of the Jacob family.”

“There are no words to express the depth of this pain,” she added. “The hostages don’t have time. We have to bring them back at home now!”

On Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that there was a “significant progress” in the efforts to secure the release of the other hostages, adding: “We are working tirelessly and all the time. I hope we will be able to move forward.”

However, senior Hamas Mahmoud Mardavi employee rejected the remarks of the Prime Minister on Wednesday, stating that they were “illusative and misleading” and intend to “interrupt any real transaction to return the captives,” according to Shehab news agency.

The Israeli forces have extracted the bodies of three other hostages taken from Nir Oz in South Gaza in the last week.

On Friday, they found Natapong Pinta’s body, a Thai citizen, in the Rafa area.

The 35-year-old worked as a worker at agriculture in Kibbutz when he was abducted by the Mujahid brigades on October 7th. An Israeli military official said he was likely to be killed in his first months of captivity.

And on Wednesday night, Israeli forces in Han Enis opened the bodies of two Israeli-American residents of the Nir Oz.

Judy Weinsstein Hagai, a 70 -year -old, who was also a Canadian citizen, and her husband, Gadi Hagai, 72, were killed by Modjahid Brigades on October 7th.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to a continuous attack, which killed about 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage.

The other four people, two of whom were dead, had already been held captive in the gas before the conflict.

So far, 202 hostages have been returned, 148 of them are alive, most of all through two temporary deals with reconciliation with Hamas.

During the war, at least 55 104 people were killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the territory.