The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday said that the remains of two hostages, who were abducted by Hamas on 7 October 2023, have been recovered from Gaza. Two bodies recovered from Gaza According to the Israeli military, while one of the bodies has been identified as that of Ilan Weiss, a 56-year-old man from Kibbutz Be’eri, the identity of the second recovered body has not been established so far. The complex recovery mission in Gaza was carried out by Southern Command Forces with intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security and counterintelligence service), and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the IDF said. Body of Deceased Hostage Ilan Weiss Recovered The body of Ilan Weiss, who was held hostage for 693 days in Gaza, has been recovered in a joint IDF and ISA military operation. Ilan was from kibbutz Be’eri and left his home on the morning of October 7 to join the kibbutz… pic.twitter.com/nk7rVxGTs7 — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 29, 2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the remains were brought back to Israel. “The campaign to return the hostages continues continuously. We will not rest or be silent until we return all of our hostages home — both the living and the dead,” Netanyahu said. Killed during October 7 attack Weiss was killed during Hamas's attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, and his wife and daughter, Shiri and Noga, were kidnapped by Hamas. They were released during the first ceasefire in November 2023. Initially, it was believed that Weiss was alive and was in Hamas captivity, but in January 2024, his family confirmed that he was killed during the October 7 attack while defending his house. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Weiss was “a loving and devoted family man, [who] excelled at cooking and loved to barbecue.” Fate of remaining hostages Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants almost 22 months ago, roughly 50 remain in Gaza, including 20 that Israel believes to be alive. As the Israeli military begins its Gaza City offensive, the families of the hostages said time is running out for them. “The hostages are running out of time. We must return all of them home, now!” the group said in its statement.
