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Israeli military said on Wednesday it had recovered the body of Itai Svirsky, who was captured on October 7, 2023, and then killed in Hamas captivity, the Israeli military said in a statement.
The Hostage Families Forum said in a statement that “the return of Itai’s body to Israel for a proper burial provides closure for his family.”
A military statement said the family had been notified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Svirsky’s body had been removed in a special operation, and he thanked Israeli security forces.
“Our hearts break for the great loss of the Svirski family,” Netanyahu said.
‘Very likely’ 6 previous deaths ‘linked’ to airstrike
The news came on the same day that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed the deaths of six more hostages whose bodies recovered in August — they were likely linked to an Israeli airstrike that had taken place several months earlier near the area where they were being held.
WATCH | In August, the remains of 6 hostages were recovered:
The Israeli army says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in the October 7 attack by Hamas that started the war in Gaza. The military said its forces found the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died.
“At the time of the strike, the military had no information, or even any suspicion, that the hostages were in or near the underground complex,” the IDF said. the statement said for the investigation into the death of the hostages.
“If such information had been available, the strike would not have happened.”
The statement said it was “highly likely that their deaths were related to a strike near where they were held”, although the exact circumstances remain unclear.
The military stated that the airstrike took place in February, but the bodies of the hostages were found at the end of August.
The most likely scenario was that they were shot by Palestinian militants during the firefight, it said. It was also possible that they had already been killed before or were shot after they were already dead.
“Due to the length of time that had passed, it was not possible to clearly determine the cause of death of the hostages or the exact time of the shooting.”
Continuous tension
The fate of the hostages has been a point of tension in Israel, with family members publicly advocating for the country to prioritize the release of their loved ones as it continues its campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
A separate report on Wednesday underscored why there are concerns about the safety of the remaining hostages: Hamas said it had information that Israel was planning a similar hostage rescue operation. took place in Gaza’s Nuseirat camp in Juneand it threatened to “neutralize” the captives if such an operation took place, it says an internal statement seen by Reuters.
The need to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages was one of the points of contention pointed out by former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant when he was Netanyahu was fired last month.
US President-elect Donald Trump earlier this week called for the immediate release of the hostages, which threatens uncertain consequences if not before he returns to the Oval Office.
The war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militias launched surprise cross-border attack about Israel.
About 1,200 people were killed, according to Israel, and Hamas took about 250 hostages and took them across the border into neighboring Gaza.
Israel Hamas declared war and launched a ground campaign in Gaza that continues more than a year later. Since then, more than 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to authorities there.
