Noa Argamani, who was held in captivity for part of the time with Itay Svirsky, lamented his death: 'We didn't think for a moment that this is how you would return to Israel.'

Sources tell Reuters that Steve Witkoff, Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, has initiated diplomatic efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement and has met with the prime ministers of both Qatar and Israel.

IDF Spokesman: We can't elaborate on operation to recover Itay Svirsky's body to protect the forces

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed footage of the conditions in which six hostages who were murdered during the summer were held.

According to a Palestinian Arab source in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has located the body of its military leader and buried it in a secret location so that Israel would not exhume it as well as to not break its terrorists' spirit.

<p>President Isaac Herzog commented on the recovery of the body of Itay Svirsky: "Our hearts this evening, are with the family of Itay Svirsky, whose body was recovered in a complex and courageous operation by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the security forces. Michal and I had the privilege of knowing Itay’s parents, Orit and Rafi, who were brutally murdered on October 7.</p><p>"Out of this deep pain and sorrow, I hope the family will find comfort in the ability to lay Itay to rest with dignity, granting him eternal peace. In this difficult time, I extend our condolences to Merav, Yonatan, and Yuval, Itay's siblings, to the family, and to the community of Be'eri. "</p><p>He added: "I reiterate my urgent call to act swiftly for the return of all the hostages. It is our moral and ethical duty to bring our brothers and sisters home."</p>

Yaakov understood that through the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, which was the “house of G-d and the gate of heaven,” he would be able to fulfill his task of connecting heaven and earth.

<p>Earlier today (Wednesday), with the intelligence direction of the ISA and IDF, the IAF conducted a precise strike on senior Hamas terrorists who were involved in terrorist activities in the Humanitarian area in Khan Yunis. Following the strike, secondary explosions were identified, suggesting the presence of weaponry in the area.</p><p>Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.</p>