Israel-Hamas war: IDF says bodies of 3 hostages recovered from Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday that it had recovered the bodies of three hostages taken into the Gaza Strip after being killed during the October 7 attacks by Hamas-led militants. 

The IDF said the army and intelligence services collaborated on an overnight operation in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, where there has been intense fighting in recent days. Families of the victims had been notified, it said.

The Israeli National Forensic Institute and Israeli police identified the bodies, the military said. 

Last weekend, Israel similarly said it recovered three dead bodies of hostages it said were killed on October 7 but still taken back to Gaza. It reported another hostage's body, recovered as part of the same operation in Rafah, the following day.

Israel says that Hamas-led militants abducted around 250 people on October 7, roughly half of whom are thought to still be in Gaza, either dead or alive.