Israel recovers two hostage remains from Gaza, identities revealed

Israeli forces recovered the bodies of two hostages from the Gaza Strip last week, officials said, returning remains nearly 23 months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that sparked the current war. One of the dead was identified as Ilan Weiss, 55 or 56, a deputy commander of Kibbutz Beeri's emergency team, and the other as 28-year-old Idan Shtivi, Israeli authorities said. The bodies were retrieved in a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet, officials said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the operation and expressed condolences to the families. In a statement he thanked commanders and fighters for "a successful operation, for their determination and courage," and vowed that Israel "will not rest or stand still until we return all our hostages home, the living and the dead alike." Israeli authorities initially announced the return of two sets of remains on Friday, with Shtivi's identity confirmed by the prime minister's office on Saturday. Both men were buried in separate ceremonies on Monday, family members and mourners said.

Weiss was killed on Oct. 7 while defending his kibbutz and had been declared dead by...