-copy.jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800 "Israel says body of hostage returned as military begins Gaza City offensive – UK Times")
Israel has recovered the remains of a man killed in the 7 October 2023 attack, as it suspended scheduled pauses to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza City.
Israel Defense Forces branded the area “a dangerous combat zone” as it announced it would be suspending the “tactical local ceasefire” there from 10am local time [0700 GMT] on Friday in a post on X (Twitter).
The shift comes as Israel prepares to mobilise tens of thousands of troops to seize Gaza City. In the past, the country has said that the city is a Hamas stronghold, with a network of tunnels that remain in use by militants after several previous large-scale raids.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the body of Ilan Weiss, 55, of Kibbutz Be’eri, was returned to Israel. His wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, were also abducted and later released as part of a hostage-prisoner swap deal in November 2023. The remains of a second hostage, whose identity has not been released yet, were also recovered, the IDF says.
According to the military, the operation to recover the bodies was carried out by their Southern Command, “in collaboration with the Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet, and special forces”. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants almost 22 months ago, roughly 50 remain in Gaza including 20 that Israel believes to be alive.
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Following the recovery of Weiss’s body, Netanyahu said he would not “rest or be silent” until all the hostages were returned to Israel.
“Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families and share in their great sorrow,” he said. “The campaign to return the kidnapped continues continuously, we will not rest or be silent until we return all our kidnapped people home – the living and the dead alike.”
Gaza City was among the places where Israel paused fighting last month to allow food and aid supplies to enter from 10am to 8pm. The pauses also applied to Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three locations in the strip where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering. Much of Gaza’s population has already been displaced several times since Israel invaded.
The city, which is the strip’s largest urban centre, is also home to some of the territory’s critical infrastructure and health facilities. In the statement, Israel’s military did not say whether they had notified residents or aid groups about the plans to resume daytime hostilities.
Humanitarian and international organisations have warned of a huge impact on aid access and medical treatment for Palestinians if Israel pursues its plans to seize the city. On Thursday, the United Nations said the besieged strip could lose half of its hospital bed capacity if Israel invades as planned.
The suspension of the pause also comes one week after the world’s leading food security authority declared that Gaza City was being gripped by famine after months of warnings.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said hunger has been driven by fighting and Israel’s blockade on most of the aid and magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production. Analysis conducted by the organisation concluded hunger, starvation and child malnutrition had surpassed thresholds necessary to declare famine.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, which coordinates a coalition of aid groups active in Gaza, said Israel’s preparation for its large-scale ground offensive had already made deliveries challenging.
“We have faced unprecedented access and movement restrictions,” spokesperson Shaina Low said on Friday. “Intensified military operations are going to further hinder our ability to respond.”
Additional reporting by AP
