The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retrieved the bodies of two Israeli hostages from Gaza, where they had been held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, according to an announcement on Friday.

In a statement, the IDF said:

The body of Ilan Weiss was recovered from the Gaza Strip in an IDF operation, along with findings linked to another deceased hostage, whose name has not yet been cleared for publication.

The complex rescue operation was carried out by IDF troops of the Southern Command, in coordination with the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the ISA [Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet], and other special forces. The operation was made possible due to precise intelligence from the Hostages and Missing Headquarters, the Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA.

Ilan Weiss, a member of Kibbutz Be’

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