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Israel's army mentioned Saturday it has recovered the physique of a person who was taken hostage from one of many communities hardest hit through the Hamas-led October 7 assault, almost six months after he was kidnapped.
The person, Elad Katzir, 47, lived in Nir Oz, a kibbutz close to the border with the Gaza Strip. In accordance with the Israeli army, greater than 1 / 4 of its 400-plus residents had been both killed within the assault or kidnapped – together with Mr Katzir's father, Avraham, who was killed, and mom, Hanna. Was taken hostage.
Hanna Katzir was launched in November as a part of a quick ceasefire settlement between Israel and Hamas wherein greater than 100 hostages had been returned. The return of Ms Katzir, 76, shocked a few of her relations, as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group backed by Iran, had earlier claimed she was lifeless.
The households of the 133 remaining hostages held in Gaza have expressed rising anger and frustration, saying the Israeli authorities will not be doing sufficient to succeed in an settlement for his or her launch. In accordance with Israeli officers, Palestinian militants are nonetheless holding about 100 hostages within the enclave; Greater than 30 different folks are actually presumed lifeless.
The Israeli army mentioned Mr. Katzir's physique was recovered by troopers in Khan Yunis, a city within the southern a part of Gaza the place Israeli forces have been working since December. The military mentioned forensic pathologists in Israel confirmed his id and authorities notified his household.
It was not instantly clear when or how Mr Katzir died. The Israeli army's declare that his captive was killed by Islamic Jihad couldn’t be verified.
Islamic Jihad had launched a minimum of two movies of Mr Katzir, a farmer born in Nir Oz. He was final seen in a video launched in early January, wherein he mentioned he had been detained for greater than 90 days and described listening to on the radio in regards to the dying of an in depth good friend of Nir Oz. Was.
Over the previous a number of weeks, Israel and Hamas have resumed oblique talks on a attainable ceasefire and the discharge of a minimum of some hostages. Hamas mentioned in an announcement on Telegram on Saturday {that a} delegation from its management would go to Cairo on Sunday for additional talks.
On Friday, President Biden despatched messages to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar – who act as mediators between Hamas and Israel – urging them to step up strain on Hamas to succeed in a compromise. He has additionally pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do the identical.
Israeli leaders have insisted that continued “army strain” on Hamas will power the group to return to the desk. Households of many hostages, fearing that their family members may very well be killed by their captors or by Israeli hearth, have referred to as for fast motion.
Mr. Katzir's sister Carmit condemned the Israeli authorities for not reaching a well timed settlement to safe her brother's launch.
“Had an settlement been reached in time, he may have been saved,” she wrote about her brother on Fb on Saturday. “However our management is cowardly, motivated by political issues, and so it didn’t occur.
“Your story mustn’t have ended like this. I'm sorry we couldn't prevent,'' he wrote to his brother. “I’ll love you without end.”