What is known about the Israeli hostages found dead in Gaza?

The pain for the families of two of those kidnapped by Hamas has ended, albeit not in the way they would have liked.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have recovered the bodies of Noa Marciano, 19, and Yehudit Weiss, 65, during operations their forces conducted against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The two women were among the 240 people Palestinian militants kidnapped and brought to Gaza after the surprise attack they launched against Israel on October 7. more than 1,200 deaths in that countrysaid Israeli authorities.

The bodies of both hostages were found near Al Shifa Hospital, IDF spokesmen said.

The final farewell

The death of Marciano, who was a corporal in the Israeli army, was announced last Tuesday by Israeli military authorities.

The circumstances of his death are unclear.. Hamas spokesmen claimed the soldier was killed in an Israeli airstrike on November 9, a version that could not be independently confirmed.

The organization made the announcement via a two-part video. In the first, recorded a few days after her capture, the soldier is seen reciting the names of her parents, sisters and the town where she was born.

Suddenly the recordings are interrupted to show his lifeless body, the Israeli press reported.

Marciano was one of the guards at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked by Palestinian militiamen on October 7.

After finding his body in “a building adjacent to Al Shifa Hospital”Israeli forces brought him to their territory to verify his identity.

After identification procedures were completed, authorities handed over the soldier’s body to her relatives, who bid her farewell on Friday.

In the city of Modi’in, in central Israel, dozens of people attended Marciano’s funeral.

Friends, family and soldiers surrounded the corporal’s coffinwhich was covered with the Israeli flag.

“Thank you for being a perfect girl. We love you infinitely and We will never forget you“, the father stated during the funeral.

“We arrived late”

The discovery of Marciano’s body came hours after the Israeli army announced that it had also found that of Yehudit Weiss near the Gaza hospital.

Weiss, who she was recovering from breast cancerwas kidnapped by Hamas fighters from her home in Be’eri, near the Gaza border.

Meanwhile, her husband, Shmulik, a rabbi, died in the attack.

In a statement, the Israeli military said Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were found near the woman’s body.

“Unfortunately, Yehudit was killed by terrorists in Gaza. We didn’t get there in time“IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference on Thursday evening.

The organization Bring Them Home Now, which unites relatives of the kidnapped, assured that the deceased worked in the kindergartens of her kibbutz, ran the dining room and specialized in nursing before retiring.

It was a “full-time loving grandmother” who enjoyed culture, sports, travel and baking, the group added.

“We wished and hoped that he would return and unfortunately for us it is already too late. but maybe not for other families“Ohad, Weiss’ eldest son, told the local press.

Command center or hospital

Al Shifa hospital, the largest on the Strip, has become the focus of the fighting in recent days.

The Israeli authorities claim so Hamas uses the facility as a command center for its operations and spent two days searching the complex for evidence of this.

The Palestinian organization in turn denies that it operates from there.

The BBC cannot independently verify either party’s claims.

The center’s director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, has assured that conditions there are “terrible.”

“Patients are screaming from thirst”, He claimed after denouncing that they have run out of water or oxygen.

In addition to the 650 prisoners and 500 employees, the hospital welcomes 5,000 people displaced by the conflict.

A delicate matter

In the five weeks since the Hamas attacks, only four of the 240 people kidnapped have managed to return safely, thanks to the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.

However, as time goes by and ground combat becomes more intense, this problem becomes more and more serious more complicated.

While Israel has experience in dealing with hostage crises, this is different, said an expert the BBC spoke to.

“Hamas has crossed the line (…) it is unthinkable that it will remain in power in Gaza after the end of this war. So there is a contradiction, because you try to negotiate with the people you want to kill” explained Gershon Baskin, an Israeli activist who took part in the talks that led to the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.

Shalit was held by Hamas for five years and returned after the Israeli government 1,000 Palestinian prisoners releasedincluding Yahya Sinwar, who is seen as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks.

The exchange was approved by current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This week, Hamas’ military wing said it was prepared to release him 70 women and children in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Among the 240 abductees are 30 children, the youngest of whom is only about 9 months old, according to information provided by Israel.

However, the Israeli government has rejected a ceasefire, arguing that Hamas would use it to regroup. And instead he has said he could accept ‘humanitarian pauses’; that is, a shorter cessation of hostilities.

The Israeli government’s position is supported by its citizens. A survey recently conducted by the Israel Institute of Democracy found that 38% of respondents agreed with negotiating the release of the prisoners, but without stopping the attacks. Also the 70% of respondents do not believe the war should end now.

About 20% on their side reject any kind of pact with Hamas, as this would open the doors for the new Yahya Sinwar to plan other attacks against them.

However, as time passes and more hostages suffer the fate of Marciano and Weiss, public opinion may change. (JO)