Israel says it recovered the body of a hostage who was taken from a kibbutz on Oct. 7.
Israel’s military said on Saturday that it had recovered the body of a man who was taken hostage from one of the communities hardest-hit during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack, almost six months to the day after his abduction.
The man, Elad Katzir, 47, lived in Nir Oz, a kibbutz near the border with the Gaza Strip. Over a quarter of its more than 400 residents were either killed or abducted in the attack — including Mr. Katzir’s father, Avraham, who was killed, and mother, Hanna, was also taken hostage, according to the Israeli military.
Hanna Katzir was released in November as part of a brief cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in which more than 100 hostages were returned. The return of Ms. Katzir, 76, stunned some of her family members, because Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group backed by Iran, had earlier claimed that she was dead.
The families of the remaining 133 hostages held in Gaza have expressed mounting anger and despair, saying that the Israeli government is not doing enough to reach a deal for their release. About 100 hostages are still being held by Palestinian militants in the enclave, according to the Israeli authorities; over 30 others are now presumed dead.
The Israeli military said that Mr. Katzir’s body had been recovered by troops in Khan Younis, a city in the southern part of Gaza where the Israeli army has been operating since December. Forensic pathologists in Israel confirmed his identity, and officials then informed his family, the military said.
It was not immediately clear when and how Mr. Katzir had died. The Israeli military’s assertion that he had been killed by his captors, Islamic Jihad, could not be verified.
