The IDF and Shin Bet have recovered the body of hostage Idan Shtivi, 28, from Gaza, officials announced Saturday.
Shtivi was killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre at the Nova music festival and abducted into Gaza. A photography enthusiast and student at Reichman University, he had been helping others escape the attack when he was captured.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Shtivi “a man of great courage and heart,” while President Isaac Herzog praised his family’s strength and said his return was a reminder of Hamas’s “crimes against humanity.”
Shtivi’s remains were identified at the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine after a complex process. His recovery follows the return of fellow hostage Ilan Weiss’s body the day before.
Hostage families welcomed the operation but stressed that 48 captives remain in Gaza — including 20 believed alive and 26 confirmed dead.
Protests continue across Israel, urging the government to pursue a hostage deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, which Hamas has already approved. The plan calls for a phased release of hostages in exchange for a ceasefire.
The government has not yet discussed the proposal, preferring to push forward militarily in Gaza.
The Hostages Forum emphasized: “The return of the hostages is the only path to healing and national recovery.”
