Israel announces it has found the body of a French-Israeli hostage in Gaza

Toledano was kidnapped, on October 7, during the attack by the Islamist movement Hamas, on the Tribe of Nova music festival, in which he was participating with his French-Israeli friend Mia Shem, released under a truce agreement at the end of November.

“During the operation in Gaza, the body of hostage Elya Toledano (28 years old) was recovered by army special forces and repatriated to Israel,” the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that forensic doctors correctly identified the body.

In recent weeks, the families of the hostages had said they did not know whether Elya Toledano was still alive.

“The Israeli army offers the family its sincere condolences,” he added, ensuring that the young man’s family had been informed before the release of the note.

Israel declared war on Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007, in retaliation for the October 7 attack, carried out on Israeli territory and in which around 1,200 people died, most of them civilians, Israeli authorities said.

Around 240 people were also kidnapped and taken to Gaza on the day of the attack. Around 135, according to the army, remain in the hands of Hamas and affiliated groups, following the release of 105 hostages during a seven-day truce that ended on December 1st.

This week, the families of the hostages demanded an explanation from the authorities, after the director of Israel’s external secret services, Mossad, stated that he refused to conduct new negotiations to release those kidnapped by Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the EU, the United States United and for Israel.

[Notícia atualizada às 06h31]

Read Also: Gaza. UN officials want the operation to be considered genocide