Israeli military recovers bodies of two hostages held by Hamas

Israel's military recovered the bodies of two hostages, Judi Weinstein-Haggai and Gad Haggai, who were held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the bodies of the husband and wife were recovered in a special operation from Khan Younis area in the Gaza Strip.

Following the recovery of two bodies, 56 hostages are still held by Hamas, with fewer than half believed to be alive, according to Israeli estimates.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.