Israel recovers bodies of 3 hostages from Gaza, military says

Israeli forces on Thursday nightretrieved thebodies of threehostages from the Gaza Strip, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday.

Hagari identified the three as Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Yitzhak Gelernter, who he said "were murdered by Hamas while escaping the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 and their bodies were taken into Gaza."He did not say where the bodies were found.

Louk, 23, a German-Israeli woman, was confirmed dead in October, when partial remains were found and matched to her DNA.

But the family of 57-year-old Gelernter was "in total darkness" about his fate until Friday, his daughter, Yarden Pivko, told Channel 12 News.

"We held on to hope and had a lot of faith that the end would be different," she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military operationin a statement, and reiterated a pledge to return all thehostages,"the living and the deceased alike."

In response to the military's announcement, the armed wing of Hamas, the group that governs Gaza, said it was "skeptical" ofIsrael's claims and added that the only way for the remaininghostages to return alive was through a truce.

"The resistance believes that the enemy will not get its prisoners except as lifeless corpses or through an honourable exchange deal for our people," it said.

Hamas led a surprise attack on southernIsraeli bases and communities on Oct. 7, in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed and some 250 takenhostage, according toIsraeli tallies. Some129hostagesremaincaptive inGaza.

Israelhas since launched an air, ground and sea assault on the blockaded Palestinian territory, killing more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The bombardment has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million population, laid waste to the coastal enclave and caused a deep humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies have warned repeatedly of widespread hunger and the threat of disease.

Doctors say they have to perform surgery, including amputations, with no anesthetics or painkillers as themedical system in the territory has virtually collapsed.

During the only truce so far, which lasted a week at the end of November, 110Israeli and foreignhostages were released in exchange for 240 PalestiniansIsraelwas holding.