The remains of two more Israeli hostages have been recovered, Israel said Friday — as it declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone.”
The body of Oct. 7 “hero” Ilan Weiss, 56, was found alongside the remains of another hostage who has yet to be identified, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
They were recovered during a joint military and Shin Bet security operation in the Gaza Strip 693 days after they were taken on Oct. 7, the IDF noted.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called Weiss a “hero” for the way he sacrificed himself while trying to defend his family and neighbors when Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri.
His wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were taken captive by Hamas but released in November 2023 during the first week-long cease-fire.
The IDF now believes Weiss “was murdered and kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 Massacre.”
“Ilan showed courage and noble spirit when he fought the terrorists on that dark day,” Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“In his death, he gave life. And ever since, his family has shown extraordinary strength in their struggle for his return.”
It’s not exactly clear where in the Gaza strip the two bodies were recovered. There are now 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, including 20 still believed to be alive, according to the Times of Israel.
Netanyahu vowed Israel “will not rest or be silent until we return all of our kidnapped people home — both the living and the dead.”
The announcement comes as Israeli officials declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” on Friday and said there will no longer be daily humanitarian pauses in military action in the enclave.
Measures were taken last month to ensure greater aid distribution to starving Palestinians in Gaza following international outcry, and included instilling 10-hour daily pauses in fighting in parts of the Strip and establishing new aid operations.
The IDF said Friday that aid distribution efforts would continue but forces would simultaneously be conducting “offensive operations against terror groups in Gaza to protect Israeli civilians.”
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