Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the military and security forces have recovered the bodies of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
“The bodies of two of our hostages have been returned to Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that one of their names, Yair Yaakov, was cleared for publication.
Netanyahu said that Yaakov was “killed and accused” by extremist group Islamic jihad in the 2023 attacks. “Along with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I express our sincere appreciation to the family who have lost their beloved loved one,” he added.
In a statement Wednesday, Israeli military said of the other hostages:
Yaakov is a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, an agricultural community near the border with Gaza, and was hit hard by the attacks. He was 59 years old when he was killed, according to a statement from the Hostage and Missing Family Forum.
According to the forum, he was taken from his home along with his children, his child and his partner Meiraf, and his death was confirmed in February 2024. Other families were released as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement in November 2023.
“Yair was a heartfelt, dedicated family man and was always ready to help others,” the forum said in a statement on behalf of Yaakov's children.
On Saturday, Israeli security forces said they had recovered the bodies of Thai citizens, a farm worker of Kibbutz nir Oz, who is in their 30s, when they were accused of Gaza in the 2023 attack.
Last week, Israeli authorities said they had recovered from Gaza the remains of two members of Israeli Nir Oz, who were also Canadian citizens. and her husband, Gaddy Haggai, 72;
The latest operation brings 53 live and dead prisoners thought to be held in Gaza. The Israeli government says it is believed that up to 23 hostages are alive.
The announcement of hostages on Wednesday came as Israeli forces were running a fierce operation in Gaza. It also came when Israel was facing increasing international pressure on carrying out the war. In March, Israel imposed a lockdown for about 80 days on humanitarian assistance entering the enclave as the early stages of the two-month ceasefire ended while Hamas was over.
Both sides were to negotiate the next step in the armistice. Israeli officials argued that the restrictions were intended to put pressure on Hamas to compromise. Aid groups have halted operations as food stockpiles fell, food prices skyrocketed, and humanitarian groups warned of massive amounts of privacy and hunger.
In late May, a widely criticized aid distribution system, supported by Israel and run primarily by American contractors, began operating in the enclave. The efforts have been undermined by confusion at aid sites and fatal violence nearby.
More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Nir Oz has become a symbol of the scale of the 2023 attack. This led to about one in four of the village's approximately 400 residents being killed or acceded. In total, around 250 people, including foreigners, were held hostages, and around 1,200 people were killed, Israeli authorities said.
