The IDF announced Wednesday that it found the body of an Israeli soldier who had been held by Hamas since its Oct. 7 invasion during an operation late Tuesday night.
The exact location of the operation remains under a gag order. The body was found buried in the ground after a Shin Bet interrogation of a detainee.
Unusually, the IDF did not allow the publication of the name of the soldier whose body was found at the request of the family.
On Tuesday afternoon, the IDF and Shin Bet rescued Israeli Bedouin hostage Qaid Farhanal-Kaadi from a tunnel in Rafah, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 in Mivtachim in the south.
Transport Minister Miri Regev tweeted that the mission took place in Rafah, while the IDF referred only to southern Gaza, which could include Rafah and also Khan Yunis.
The return of the hostage’s body reduces the number of hostages to 107, from around 250 originally.
Of the 107, even the IDF officially recognizes only 72 as possibly alive, while unofficial estimates from a variety of officials put the number closer to 50.
Reactions to the IDF-Shin Bet operation
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response: “Tonight, our forces returned the body of an IDF soldier whose name was not permitted for publication. The combat soldier fell in heroic combat on October 7 while defending Gaza’s border communities.”
Netanyahu also thanked the IDF and the Shin Bet for the operation.
I commend the IDF and ISA forces who conducted a bold operation to retrieve the body of a fallen soldier from Gaza, and brought him home for burial in Israel. The soldier fell in combat during the Hamas attack on October 7th. This operation reflects our commitment to bringing…
— Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) August 28, 2024
Stay updated with the latest news!
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant wrote in a post on X/Twitter: “I commend the IDF and ISA forces who carried out a courageous operation to recover the body of a fallen soldier from Gaza, and brought him home to be buried in Israel. The soldier fell in combat during the Hamas attack on October 7.
“This operation reflects our commitment to bringing all hostages home,” Gallant added.
The Missing Hostages and Families Forum said: “The recovery of the fallen soldier’s remains provides his family with important closure.”
“We must not be fooled; the remaining hostages do not have the comfort of waiting for rescue operations. The immediate return of these 107 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated settlement,” the statement continued.
