Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of five individuals who were taken hostage during Hamas’ attack on October 7 and held in Gaza, as announced by the Israeli military on Wednesday.
Maya Goren, a 56-year-old kindergarten teacher, was killed during the attack on her kibbutz, Nir Oz, one of the communities that suffered severely in the deadly assault in southern Israel, according to Israeli Army Radio.
The other four hostages were two reserve soldiers and two conscript soldiers who were killed in combat during the October 7 attack, the military added.
The bodies were retrieved from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces have initiated new raids this week.
The five individuals were among the 120 hostages still believed to be in Gaza, about a third of whom Israel has declared dead based on forensic evidence, intelligence, interrogations of captured militants, videos, and testimonies from released hostages.
In a speech to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his government is deeply involved in intensive efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages and is confident of success.
An Israeli delegation will participate in talks mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar next week to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, an Israeli official stated on Wednesday.
Hamas is seeking a ceasefire to end the conflict in Gaza, but Netanyahu insists that the war cannot end until Hamas is defeated.
NANCY MBAMALU
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