IDF and the Shin Bet on Wednesday recovered the bodies of Yair Yaakov, who was murdered by terrorists and his body taken captive to Gaza, and that of another hostage whose name has not yet been cleared for publication, from the Khan Yunis area. 54 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, 20 of them are thought to be alive.
The IDF stated that the operation was conducted by IDF troops of the Southern Command and was made possible by precise intelligence received from the Hostage Task Force, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, and the ISA.
Following an identification procedure carried out by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in cooperation with the Israel Police, the Hostage Task Force of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate notified the family and the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
"The IDF and ISA extend their condolences to the families and will continue to make all efforts possible to bring home all the hostages," the IDF added.
Yair's son, Or, who was abducted and released, published a story on Instagram in which he wrote: "Dad, I love you. I still don't know how to react, I'm sad to say. I'm waiting for your funeral. I love you, I knew this day would come. Thank you to the IDF and Shin Bet forces for the recovery. I hope the rest of the hostages will be brought back with a deal so soldiers aren't endangered."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "In an operation carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet in the Gaza Strip, the bodies of two of our hostages were returned to Israel — Yair Yaakov, of blessed memory, and another hostage whose name has not yet been cleared for publication (his family has been notified). Yair Yaakov was murdered and abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Islamic Jihad on October 7, 2023.
"Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their most precious loved ones. I thank the soldiers and commanders for yet another successful execution of the sacred mission to bring our hostages home. We will not rest or be silent until we bring all our hostages home — both the living and the fallen," he added.
Yair's family stated: "On this difficult evening, we feel a sense of closure. This is a circle that we deeply needed to close in order to begin looking ahead. We wholeheartedly thank the security forces and the brave soldiers who took part in the complex recovery operation.
The family added: "However, we reiterate our position — the lives of soldiers should not be placed on the line. The hostages must be brought back through a deal that avoids further danger to soldiers or to the hostages themselves. On this day, we also wish to remember the families of the hostages who are still waiting for their loved ones — for them, these are unbearably difficult days. Our hearts will not be whole until they all return.”
Minister of Defense Israel Katz stated: "I share in the deep sorrow of the families and thank the fighters who acted with courage during the operation. The State of Israel will not rest for a moment until all the hostages — the living and the fallen — are brought home. This is a moral, national, and ethical mission — and we will continue to act with determination until it is completed."
Yair (Yaya) Yaakov, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was abducted and murdered in the October 7th Massacre. His partner, Meirav Tal, and two sons, 16-year-old Or and 12-year-old Yagil, were abducted and released as part of the November 2023 hostage deal.
On the morning of the massacre, Merav managed to update her family that terrorists had entered their home, shot at them, and wounded Yaakov. The terrorists filmed the entire ordeal, from the moment they entered the house until the moment they abducted the family. The house was destroyed by gunfire, and the family was filmed being grabbed from the floor, as Yair showed the terrorists that he was wounded. Later, he was separated from the rest of his family.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated: “Our hearts are with the Nir Oz community, with the family of Yair Yaakov, and with the family of the additional hostage, whose name will be published in due course. Alongside the pain and mourning, we feel a measure of relief knowing that the two will be laid to rest with dignity — and that the unbearable suffering their loved ones have endured for 614 days may now be eased, if only slightly.
"We are grateful to the IDF and the security forces for returning Yair and the additional hostage. However, we cannot ignore the deep fear and anxiety surrounding the families of the remaining hostages tonight — fear that their loved ones have no more time to wait, and are only days away from the risk of death or disappearance."
The forum repeated its demand that the decision-makers reach a "full and comprehensive agreement that will bring home all 53 remaining hostages — even if that requires ending the fighting. This is what the majority of the Israeli public wants. It is absolutely unacceptable for hostages to become part of our routine after more than 600 days. We do not have hundreds more days to wait. This nightmare must end. We must bring them all home — now — and only then can we begin to rebuild Israeli society and bring stability to the region.”
President Isaac Herzog stated, "With deep sorrow, we received the news of the recovery of the body of Yair Yaakov, along with that of another hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz. On October 7, Yair’s sons—Or and Yagil—and his partner Meirav were also abducted from the kibbutz; they all returned to us in the first hostage release deal."
"I hope the fact that the bodies of our fallen have been recovered, and can be laid to rest in dignity, brings a measure of closure and comfort to their families and to the entire Nir Oz community. May their memories be a blessing," added Herzog.
"We salute the IDF and the security services for their noble mission of bringing our brothers and sisters back from the hell of the terrorists’ dungeons in Gaza. We will continue to act with determination to bring them all home—the living, for healing and reunion with their families, and the fallen, to be laid to rest in Israel—until the very last of them," concluded the President.