Israel Recovers Body of IDF Women Soldier Taken Hostage in Gaza

The Israel Defence Forces have confirmed the death of Corporal Noa Marciano, who was abducted by the Hamas terror group during the October 7 attacks, as reported by the Times of Israel. The body of the 19-year-old Marciano was recovered by the troops of the 7th Armored Brigade 603rd Battalion from a building adjacent to Shifa Hospital. This was based on intelligence information provided by the Shin Bet security agency.

Her body was subsequently brought to Israel for identification, coinciding with ongoing efforts to search for terror infrastructure in the hospital complex. Marciano was serving at the Nahal Oz IDF base when it was overrun by Hamas terrorists during the attack on southern Israel on October 7. She lived in Modiin and was the oldest of three siblings.

Hamas shared a propaganda video of Marciano on Monday evening, four days after being taken hostage, where she identified herself and recited the names of her parents and hometown. The video then showed her deceased body, according to The Times of Israel.

In a separate incident, the Israeli Army reported finding the body of another Israeli hostage, Yehudit Weiss, near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. She was kidnapped from the kibbutz of Beeri on October 7. The body was found in a "structure" near the medical facility, with no details provided on the cause of her death or the condition of the structure when her body was discovered.

Israeli military spokespersons stated that Weiss was killed by Hamas, and Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed her murder during a televised briefing. The Hostages and Missing Person Families Forum identified Weiss as a 65-year-old grandmother, whose husband Shmuel was killed in the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel.

Hamas and Israel are reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions for a potential deal involving the release of hostages. The proposed agreement focuses on approximately 50 women and children among the 240 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Israel is evaluating the proposal, which includes a three-to-five-day halt in fighting, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the release of an unspecified number of women and children held in Israeli prisons.

Meanwhile, Israel Defence Forces reported continued operations in the Gaza Strip, with fighter jets striking Hamas sites and soldiers engaging Hamas terrorists. A Hamas terrorist tunnel was uncovered in the Shifa Hospital complex, another in the Rantisi Hospital, and a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition were found in the Al-Quds Hospital, according to IDF posts on social media platform X.