The Israeli army announced yesterday that it had discovered the bodies of five hostages who were killed by the Palestinian group Hamas during their attack on October 7. These hostages were subsequently held in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as reported by Reuters.

Among the deceased was Maya Goren, a 56-year-old kindergarten teacher, who was killed in the assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz. This settlement was one of the hardest hit in the violent Hamas offensive that triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The other four victims were Israeli soldiers—two reservists and two conscripts—who were killed while engaged in combat with the Islamist militants on October 7.

The bodies were located in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, where Israeli forces have recently intensified their operations. Hamas is still holding approximately 120 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities have declared about a third of these hostages dead in absentia, based on forensic evidence, intelligence reports, captured Palestinian fighters’ interrogations, video footage, and statements from released hostages.

In a speech delivered at the US Congress yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that his government is actively working to secure the release of the remaining abducted individuals.