Israel has returned the body of a hostage killed by radicals in January from Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the return of the body of hostage Itay Svirsky in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security agency. The Times of Israel reported on December 4.

"During his stay in Gaza, he was held with hostages Yossi Sharabi and Noah Argamani. Sharabi was probably unintentionally killed in an Israel Defense Forces strike, the military said earlier this year, while Argamani was rescued over the summer," the piece said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing condolences to Svirsky's family and pledged to continue to work for the return of all the remaining 100 hostages.

Earlier, on Nov. 19, Netanyahu, visiting the Netzarim corridor in the Gaza Strip, said that Israel is ready to pay the Palestinians $5 million for each hostage released from the hands of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. He also threatened accountability for anyone who harms Israeli hostages.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel and invaded border areas in the south and took hostages. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes against targets in Gaza.