Weiss, 65, a mother of five, was found in a “structure” adjacent to al-Shifa hospital, officials said.
The body of Yehudit Weiss, one of around 240 people captured by Hamas during its October 7 attacks, has been found, the Israeli army announced.
Weiss, 65, a mother of five, was found by Israeli soldiers in a “structure” adjacent to al-Shifa hospital, military officials said Thursday.
“Yehudit was assassinated by terrorists in the Gaza Strip and we failed to reach her in time,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing. television.
Weiss was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 when Hamas fighters swept into southern Israel in the largest attack on the country in decades.
Weiss’s husband, Shmulik Weiss, was killed in their home during the attack, according to Israeli officials.
Bring Them Home Now, a support group for captives and their families, described Weiss as a “loving full-time grandmother” who loved traveling, baking and sports. The group said she was recovering from breast cancer at the time of her capture.
Israeli officials said military equipment, including Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs, was found in the same location as Weiss’ body.
The announcement comes as Israeli forces continue to undertake a major military operation at al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, amid growing concern over the well-being of patients and staff there. the interior and confrontation of stories about the role of the complex in the war.
Israel claimed the hospital had been used as a Hamas command center and released a video on Thursday showing images of a weapons cache and a hole in the ground surrounded by rubble.
Hamas and hospital officials have denied Israeli claims that the complex was used to plan and carry out military operations.
Hamas official Bassem Naim called the claims a “farce” and said the group was not ruling out the possibility that Israeli soldiers had laid down the weapons themselves.
Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry, warned on Thursday that “thousands of sick and wounded women, children” were at risk of dying in hospitals as Israeli forces continued to occupy the complex.