Israel recovers body of hostage and remains of another

Israel’s military recovered the body of one hostage and the remains of another in Gaza on Friday, as it declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” ahead of a major assault.

The recovered body has been identified as Ilan Weiss, 56, from Kibbutz Be’eri, while the remains of the other hostage have yet to be identified, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Weiss’ wife and daughter, Shiri and Noga, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and were released during the first ceasefire in November. At the time, it was believed that Weiss might still be alive. However, in January 2024, Kibbutz Be’eri announced that Ilan Weiss had been killed during the attack and his body taken into Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not specify where in Gaza the remains were recovered.

via CNN