Three hostages seized by Hamas during an attack on Israel have been recovered from Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces reports that Hamas terrorists are still holding 125 hostages in Gaza, with 39 of them being classified as deceased.
On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that three more bodies of hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during their unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on Israel were recovered overnight in Gaza.
An operation in Jabalia, a city in northern Gaza, saw the recovery take place.
The IDF identified the hostages as 42-year-old Hanan Yablonka, 30-year-old Orión Hernández Radoux, and 59-year-old Michel Nisenbaum.
On Oct. 7, three individuals were killed near the Mefalsim area in southern Israel, according to the IDF. Their bodies were discovered not far from the location where remains were previously found last week.
Despite being divorced, Yablonka was a father to two children, aged 12 and 9.
When Hamas launched its unprecedented attack, he was with four friends in his vehicle. One of them was found dead in the car, another was dead in a field, and the last two were killed in a nearby hiding place they had found, the IDF said.
At the Nova music festival, Radoux, a French-Mexican citizen and father of one, was captured along with his girlfriend, Shani Louk. Her body was among the three found and recovered on May 17.
Since 1988, Nisenbaum had resided in Israel and was the father of two daughters and the grandfather of six children. On his way to pick up his granddaughter, he was kidnapped, as per the IDF.
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters issued a statement following the recovery on Friday.
The return of Michel, Hanan, and Oryon is another source of heartache for the 125 families of the hostages, who feel the pain, sorrow, and constant anxiety. Their burial brings closure to the family members, and it is crucial to bring back all the murdered hostages to Israel.
"The recovery of the bodies of the hostages serves as a silent but resolute reminder that Israel must immediately dispatch negotiation teams with a clear demand to bring about a deal that will swiftly return all the hostages home, including the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial."
After the IDF made an announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a statement in Hebrew on his X account.
"My wife Sara and I, along with the citizens of Israel, bow our heads in deep sorrow and embrace the grieving families during this difficult time. We have a national and moral obligation to do everything in our power to return our abducted loved ones - both their lives and their spaces - and that is what we are doing," he wrote.
"I commend the bravery of the IDF and security forces who risked their lives to rescue and honor the fallen in enemy territory, ultimately bringing them back to their loved ones and the resting place of Israel."
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, expressed his sympathy for X as Radoux was a European citizen.
With immense sadness, I learned of the death of our compatriot Orión Hernández-Radoux, who was a hostage of Hamas since October 7. My thoughts are with his family and those close to him. France remains committed to the release of all hostages.
Hamas terrorists have been holding hostages in Gaza for the past 231 days.
According to the IDF, as of Friday, the group is believed to have 125 hostages in its custody, with 39 of them being considered dead.
Planet Chronicle' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
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