JERUSALEM, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces recovered the body of hostage Yair Yaakov from Gaza and returned it to Israel, his family and the Israeli media said on Wednesday.
Writing on Instagram, Yagil Yaakov, son of Yair Yaakov, thanked Israeli security forces for retrieving his father's body and stressed that he hopes the rest of the hostages can be brought back "in a deal."
Isreal's state-owned Kan TV news confirmed that Israel Defense Forces troops and Shin Bet internal intelligence agents have returned the body of Yaakov to Israel in a joint operation.
Yair Yaakov, 59, was killed on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. His body was taken to Gaza. His sons, Or and Yagil, and his spouse, Meirav Tal, were released in the first hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas in November 2023.
Hamas abducted 251 people during its Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Dozens were later freed in swap deals. According to Israeli figures, 54 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 20 believed to be alive.
Despite mediation efforts to broker a new ceasefire agreement, no breakthrough has been achieved. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 55,000, according to health authorities in Gaza. ■
