Israel has confirmed that the body of a second woman who was taken into Gaza by Hamas has been found near the Al-Shifa Hospital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that 19-year-old Cpl Noa Marciano was discovered in a building adjacent to the hospital. This comes after the IDF found the body of a 65-year-old hostage in a house near the same hospital. Troops are continuing their search in and around Gaza’s largest hospital.
The IDF stated that intelligence led them to the exact location of Cpl Marciano’s body, but did not provide further details on the cause of her death. Hamas’s military wing claimed that she was killed in an Israeli air strike, although this could not be independently verified.
Cpl Marciano was serving as a lookout at the Nahal Oz kibbutz when it was attacked by gunmen who had breached the Israel-Gaza border, targeting Israeli communities and military bases. The IDF called a video of Cpl Marciano released by Hamas “psychological terrorism.”
Only four of the 240 hostages abducted last month by Hamas have been freed so far. Israeli authorities estimate that at least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s cross-border attack, while Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims that 11,400 people have been killed in the territory since Israel’s counter-attack began.
Al-Shifa hospital, which has been the focus of fighting in recent days, was raided by the Israeli military. The IDF alleges that Hamas has been using the hospital as a command center and has been conducting a search to gather evidence to support this claim. Hamas denies operating in the hospital, and the BBC is unable to independently verify the assertions made by either side.
Israel confirms discovery of second hostage body near Al-Shifa hospital
