Israel recovers bodies of five hostages taken by Hamas during Oct 7 attack

Israeli forces have retrieved the bodies of five individuals who were taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack on southern Israel. The military confirmed on Thursday (Jul25) that the remains of Maya Goren and soldiers Ravid Aryeh Katz, Oren Goldin, Tomer Ahimas, and Kiril Brodski have been returned to Israel.

How were the hostage bodies recovered?

The bodies were recovered during an operation in Khan Yunis, a key city in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (Jul 24), said the Israeli military.

As per the news agency AFP, the four soldiers were killed during the attack by Hamas militants, which led to significant casualties and hostages being taken.

In December, the military had previously announced the death of Maya Goren, who had been abducted on October 7.

The recovery of her body was confirmed by kibbutz Nir Oz, who said that her family had been informed.

In a separate statement, kibbutz Nir Yitzhak also confirmed the return of Oren Goldin's body.

"This evening, we were informed about the rescue operation for the late Oren Goldin, a member of the kibbutz emergency team, who fell on October 7".

The attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, predominantly civilians, and the seizure of 251 hostages. Of those, 111 remain in Gaza, with the military reporting that 39 of these hostages are deceased.

Israel's military response in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 39,145 deaths, mostly civilians.

(With inputs from agencies)