Gaza war: Israeli forces recover bodies of five hostages

Shortly afterwards, the kibbutzim of Nir Oz and Nir Yitzhak announced in separate statements that they had been informed of the recovery of Ms Goren and Sgt Goldin’s bodies.

On Thursday, a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency, also known as the Shin Bet, confirmed that commandos had recovered their bodies, along with those of Maj Katz, Sgt Ahimas and Sgt Brodski, during an operation in the Khan Younis area, in southern Gaza, on Wednesday.

“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate, using all intelligence and operational means to fulfil the supreme mission of rescuing all of the hostages,” it added.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum praised what it called the “crucial and decisive military action that provides their families with important closure and eternal rest for the murdered”.

“It is Israel’s duty to return all the murdered for honourable burial and all living hostages for rehabilitation. The immediate return of the remaining 115 hostages can only be achieved through a deal!” it said, including among their number another four Israelis who were abducted before 7 October.

The forum called on Mr Netanyahu to send Israel’s negotiating team to Qatar “without delay”.

The Israeli prime minister’s office had said the negotiators would depart on Thursday, following what it called an in-depth discussion with Mr Netanyahu over the weekend. But on Wednesday, Israeli officials said the team would head to Doha only after Mr Netanyahu had met US President Joe Biden at the White House.

The IDF also said on Thursday that its troops were continuing operations against “terrorist infrastructure and operatives” in Khan Younis and claimed that they had killed dozens of Palestinian fighters over the past few days.

On Wednesday, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that four people had been killed in an Israeli air strike on a car in Jourat al-Loot, south of Khan Younis. Medics told Reuters news agency that another two people had been killed in a strike in Bani Suhaila, a town to the east where Hamas said it had targeted Israeli forces.

The UN estimates that more than 150,000 people have been displaced from Khan Younis since Monday, when Israel ordered the evacuation of eastern neighbourhoods that were part of its designated “humanitarian area”.