Israel announces the recovery of its detained citizen Ilan Weiss's body from Gaza in a military operation
Israeli authorities announced on Friday the recovery of the body of Israeli citizen Ilan Weiss, who was held in the Gaza Strip, during a joint military operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "in an operation carried out by the Israeli army and the General Security Service (Shabak) in the Gaza Strip, the body of Ilan Weiss, who was held by Hamas, was returned to Israel."
It was revealed that the operation also resulted in the recovery of the remains of another detainee, with Netanyahu adding: "In this operation, the remains of another hostage whose name has not yet been disclosed were returned. The identification of the remains is currently being conducted at the forensic institute."
The Prime Minister provided a brief overview of the victim, saying: "Ilan Weiss, a hero of the force, was a member of the local emergency team (Zachi) in Kibbutz Be'eri. He was killed on October 7, 2023, when he went out to defend the kibbutz, and his body was kidnapped."
He also referred to the ordeal experienced by his family, explaining that "his wife Shiri and daughter Noga were kidnapped and released from captivity in November 2023."
Netanyahu concluded his statement by reaffirming the ongoing efforts, saying: "The campaign to return the hostages continues relentlessly, and we will not rest or be silent until we bring all our captives home, alive or dead."
