Israel Army recovers bodies of 5 hostages held in Gaza

Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of five people taken hostage in the Gaza Strip during Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, the military said Thursday.

The army said the bodies of hostage Maya Goren as well as soldiers Ravid Aryeh Katz, Oren Goldin, Tomer Ahimas and Kiril Brodski had been returned to Israel.

The bodies were recovered on Wednesday during an operation in Khan Yunis, the main city in the south of the Gaza Strip, the military said.

The four soldiers were killed during the October 7 attack launched by Hamas militants, it added.

During an IDF operation led by ISA field analysts and coordinators, the bodies of the murdered hostage Maya Goren, and of the fallen soldiers held captive MSG (Res.) Oren Goldin, SSGT Tomer Ahimas, SGT Kiril Brodski and SGM (Res.) Ravid Aryeh Katz were rescued from the Khan Yunis.

In December, the military had announced the death of Goren, who was abducted and taken to Gaza on October 7.

Thursday's announcement comes after two Israeli kibbutzim, Nir Oz and Nir Yitzhak, said in separate statements that the army had recovered the bodies of Goren and Goldin.