The IDF provided details about an operation to recover the remains of hostages who died in Gaza. Their bodies were discovered in a humanitarian zone in the Khan Yunis area.
The operation involved forces from the Shin Bet, Commando Brigade, Yahalom Engineering Special Forces, and Egoz Special Forces, led by the 98th Division command.
During the operation, a tunnel some 200 meters long and 20 meters deep was found, with multiple rooms. The remains of the deceased were found in some of these rooms.
The IDF did not specify the cause of death of the hostages.
According to additional comments from an officer involved in the operation, the bodies were found by Egoz fighters.
Photos of the tunnel and a map showing its location have been published.
The operation resulted in the discovery of the bodies of five hostages previously declared dead in Israel.
On the morning of July 25, the IDF and Shin Bet issued a joint statement confirming the recovery of the remains of five deceased Israelis: Maya Goren, IDF Staff Sergeant (res.) Oren Goldin, IDF Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, IDF Sergeant Kiril Brodski, and Ravid Arie Katz.
Maya Goren, a 56-year-old resident of Kibbutz Nir-Oz, worked as a kindergarten teacher and was a mother of four. She had been considered kidnapped by terrorists for a month and a half. On December 1, it was announced that she had died on October 7, and her body was taken to Gaza. Maya Goren will be buried next to her husband, Avner Goren, who also died during the terrorist attack.
Oren Goldin, 33, from Kibbutz Nir-Itzhak, was the head of the kibbutz's auto repair shop and a father of two. He was a member of the self-defense unit and was reportedly the first to confront the terrorists on October 7. Initially declared missing, it was later confirmed on November 10 that he had died on October 7 and his body was taken to Gaza.
Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, 20, from Lehavim, was a communications specialist. He was initially considered missing or kidnapped, but on November 28, it was confirmed that he had died on October 7.
IDF Sergeant Kiril Brodski, 19, from Ramat Gan, was killed on October 7, and Hamas took his body. He was confirmed dead on November 28.
Ravid Arie Katz, 51, from Kibbutz Nir-Oz, was a father of three. His youngest daughter was only six months old when he died. He was an educator known for connecting with teenagers, including those struggling within the education system. Described as a "man of peace" in his kibbutz, Ravid Arie Katz died defending it.
