Recovered five bodies of hostages from Gaza, says Israeli Army

Israeli forces recover bodies of five hostages killed by Hamas in Gaza, efforts ongoing for remaining hostages' release.

Israeli forces recovered on Wednesday, July 25, 2024, the bodies of five hostages killed in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and held in Gaza since, the Israeli military said.

Maya Goren, a 56-year-old kindergarten teacher, was killed during the attack on her kibbutz, Nir Oz, according to Israeli Army Radio, one of the communities worst hit in the deadly attack in southern Israel that triggered the devastating war.

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The other four hostages were two reserve soldiers and two conscript soldiers killed in combat during the Oct. 7 attack, the military said.

Their bodies were retrieved from the area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces launched new raids this week.

The five had been listed among 120 hostages still in Gaza, about a third of whom Israel has declared dead in absentia, based on forensic findings, intelligence, interrogations of captured militants, videos and testimony of released hostages.

In a speech to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was actively engaged in intensive efforts to release the remaining hostages which he was confident would succeed.