IDF retrieves bodies of three hostages slain in Gaza on Oct. 7

Israeli forces recovered the bodies of three people in northern Gaza who were killed on Oct. 7 during the Hamas attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday it had recovered the bodies of Orión Hernández Radoux, 30, Hanan Yablonka, 42, and Michel Nisenbaum, 59, in Jabalia, a city in northern Gaza where Israeli forces recently returned to continue operations against Hamas.

They were killed near the Mefalsim area in southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to the IDF.

Israel has recovered the bodies of several hostages in Jabalia this month.

“Together with the citizens of Israel, my wife Sara and I bow our heads in deep sorrow, and embrace the grieving families in their difficult time. We have a national and moral duty to do everything in our power to return our abducted — the lives and the spaces — and that is what we are doing,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I praise the IDF forces and the security forces who acted with great courage in the heart of enemy territory, in order to return them to their families and to the grave of Israel.”

Radoux, who was a father of one child, was a French-Mexican citizen who attended the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 with his girlfriend, Shani Louk. Her body was recovered last week in Jabalia as well.

Yablonka, a father of two children, was also at the festival, and was among the hundreds of festival attendees who were killed.

Nisenbaum, a father and grandfather, was on his way to pick up his granddaughter when he was murdered by Hamas, and his body was taken back to Gaza.

“The sorrowful return of Michel, Hanan, and Oryon is another heartbreak for the 125 families of the hostages, who share the pain, sorrow, and endless worry. Their return for burial provides important closure for the family members, and efforts must be made to bring all the murdered hostages back to Israel,” the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement.

Hamas took roughly 250 people hostage on Oct. 7, and approximately half were released during a weeklong ceasefire in late November. The well-being of the rest remains unknown, though the continued recovery of bodies points to the possibility that fewer are alive than hoped.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The discovery of their bodies in Jabalia comes as Israeli forces had to head back to northern Gaza despite their previous efforts in the war to destroy Hamas from that area. It also comes at a bad week for Israel internationally.

Spain, Norway, and Ireland announced their intent to recognize a Palestinian state; the International Criminal Court announced its intent to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, while the International Court of Justice ordered Israel on Friday to stop its ongoing operations in Rafah due to humanitarian concerns.