The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have confirmed the recovery of a body identified as Ilan Weiss, a British-Israeli dual national who was killed during the devastating Hamas-led attacks on October 7th.
Mr Weiss, 56, was initially thought to have been taken hostage after militants stormed his kibbutz, Be'eri. His wife, Shiri Weiss, was also killed in the assault, and their daughter, Noga Weiss, 18, was abducted and held captive for 50 days before being released during a temporary ceasefire.
In a sombre statement, the IDF said his body had been located and extracted from Gaza by Israeli troops and brought back to Israel for burial. The operation was based on intelligence gathered by Israeli security services.
The news delivers a tragic conclusion to months of agonising uncertainty for his family, who had held onto hope he might be found alive amongst the hostages. His death brings the number of confirmed British nationals killed in the October 7th attacks to at least ten.
The cross-border raid by Hamas resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 240 others taken hostage into Gaza. Israel's subsequent military campaign in the territory has resulted in a high number of casualties, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The recovery of Mr Weiss's body highlights the ongoing, grim task of locating and identifying the remains of victims, a process that continues nearly nine months into the conflict.
