Israel retrieves bodies of two abducted soldiers

The bodies of Cpl Nik Beizer and Sgt Ron Sherman were positively identified by medical officials and military rabbis, together with the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police.

Beizer, a 19-year-old resident of Beersheva, was a driver for the Erez District Coordination Office, which is a liaison between Israel and the Palestinians. Beizer was last seen on October 7 in the area of the Erez Crossing between Israel and Gaza.

Sherman, a 19-year-old from the Negev town of Lehavim, was a non-commissioned officer in the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration. He was a dual Israeli-Argentine national.

Earlier in the morning, the IDF announced it had recovered the body of Elia Toledano. The 28-year-old was abducted from the Supernova music festival.

The IDF announcements did not indicate how or when Beizer, Sherman or Toledano died.

"Our national mission is to locate the missing and return all the hostages home. We are working together with security agencies and with all intelligence and operational means in order to return all of the hostages home," the IDF said.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7.

The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 132. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains. (ANI/TPS)