The Israeli army has confirmed the deaths of five hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement released on Friday. The families of the victims have been informed, and the body of one of them has been returned to Israel.
Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated, “In recent days, the IDF and Israel police notified the families of the hostages Eliyahu Margalit, Maya Goren, Ronen Engel, and Arye Zalmanovitz about their deaths.” He also mentioned that the body of a fifth person, identified as Ofir Tsarfati, had been brought back to Israel.
Hagari further disclosed that Gaza operatives still hold 136 hostages, including 17 women and children. In a separate statement, the army revealed that Tsarfati’s body was located in Gaza by troops and members of the Shin Bet internal security service. The body was then transported to Israel for burial, and the family was informed about his death on Wednesday.
Tsarfati was abducted from a rave party near the Gaza Strip on October 7 during an attack by Hamas militants. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of around 240 others. This incident is considered one of the worst attacks in Israel’s 75-year history.
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