The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that they had recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza. According to the IDF, Elad Katzir's body was rescued by security forces overnight from Khan Yunis and brought back to Israeli territory.
Katzir was abducted on October 7, the same day when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas initiated an attack on Israel, marking the beginning of the conflict in Gaza.
"Elad Katzir was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization during the October 7 Massacre," the IDF stated.
"His mother, Hanna, was also abducted by IJ and released on November 24, while his father, Avraham, was murdered in the kibbutz. Intelligence suggests that Elad was killed by IJ while in captivity."
This announcement comes shortly after the U.N. Security Council passed its first resolution, urging for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the U.S. abstaining.
The resolution called for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas, as well as for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"Our mission since the beginning of the conflict has been, and remains, to locate and bring the hostages home," the IDF emphasized. "We will continue our operations until this mission is complete."
The news of Katzir's recovered body emerges just over a week after The New York Times published an interview with a former hostage who claimed to have been sexually assaulted while in Hamas captivity.
Amit Soussana, who was held captive for 55 days, became the first former hostage in the Israel-Hamas conflict to publicly disclose allegations of sexual violence.
Soussana's interview followed a report by a United Nations special group on sexual violence, which found "clear and convincing information" indicating that Hamas had committed rape and sexual torture during its October 7 attack on Israel.