Israel recovers bodies of two hostages from Gaza

Israeli military recovers bodies of hostages abducted and killed by Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza, Netanyahu confirms.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) that the bodies of two hostages had been recovered from Gaza by the military and the domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet.

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Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement that the body of hostage Yair Yaakov had been retrieved, along with that of another hostage whose identity has not been cleared for publication.

The Israeli military said militants from the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad abducted and killed Yaakov during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Militants also took Yaakov’s partner, Meirav Tal, and two of his children, Or and Yagil, hostage but later released them, the military said. Yaakov was 59 at the time of his death.

The military said it notified the family of the second hostage whose body it recovered, adding that it retrieved the bodies in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.

There are 53 hostages still being held in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive.