Admin I Tuesday, June 11, 2025
GAZA, Palestine – The Israeli Defence Forces has announced that it recovered bodies of two captives during operation in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip.
According to the IDF, one of the bodies is Yair Yaakov while the other body is yet to be identified.
In a joint IDF and ISA operation, the bodies of hostage Yair Yaakov, and an additional hostage whose name has not yet been cleared for publication were recovered from the Khan Yunis area in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF identified Yair Yaakov, as a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, who was brutally murdered and abducted from the Kibbutz on October 7th, 2023, by Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Meirav Tal, Yairs’ partner, and two of his children Or and Yagil Yaakov were abducted by the Hamas on October 7th and were released during a previous hostage release agreement, the statement added.
According to the IDF, Yair, a father of three, was 59 at the time of his death.
“Additionally, the body of an additional hostage has been recovered.
“His family has been notified and his name will be clear for release later”, the statement said and that the rescue operation was conducted by IDF troops of the Southern Command.
It noted that the operation was made possible by precise intelligence received from the Hostage Task Force, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA.
“Following an identification procedure carried out by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police, the Hostage Task Force of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate notified the family and the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
It added that the IDF and ISA extend their condolences to the families and will continue to make all efforts possible to bring home all the hostages.
