In a harrowing operation carried out late Friday night, the body of an Israeli hostage was successfully recovered from the Gaza Strip and returned to Israel. The military official told the Fox News Jerusalem Bureau that the mission, which lasted several hours, involved excavating the body from an underground compound located in the southern part of Khan Yunes.

The victim, identified as 47-year-old Elad Katzir, was tragically "murdered in captivity," according to a joint statement from the Israel Security Agency (ISA) and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Katzir's mother, Hanna, who was also held hostage, was released on November 24, 2023, as part of a temporary ceasefire.

The military official confirmed that comprehensive ground and air activity supported the operation, which marked another step towards bringing justice for the hostages. Despite this success, the official stated that terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad still have 133 hostages in their custody.

While Katzir's sister pointed fingers at Hamas for her brother's murder on Facebook, the ISA and IDF indicated that Islamic Jihad was likely responsible. The circumstances surrounding Katzir's death are believed to have occurred sometime in January of this year.

The body was transported to Israel for further identification after an overnight procedure conducted by medical officials at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. The IDF and ISA expressed their deepest condolences to the family of Elad Katzir in their official statement.

Katzir and his mother were among those abducted on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The ISA and IDF emphasized that they are working in close coordination with relevant national and security bodies to retrieve all the remaining hostages.

Elad Katzir, who was a farmer and social activist, dedicated his time to the Hadar Foundation, advocating for the release of two Israeli soldiers whose bodies are being held in Gaza. The tragic loss of Katzir serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to recover all the hostages and bring them back safely to their families.