Israel has officially confirmed the identification of Idan Shtivi's remains, retrieved during a recent military operation in the Gaza Strip. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday, following the recovery of two hostages' bodies earlier in the week.

Previously, Netanyahu's office disclosed on Friday the retrieval of Ilan Weiss's body along with those of another hostage whose identity was unknown at the time. This second set of remains has now been confirmed as Shtivi's.

According to Israeli military statements, Idan Shtivi was abducted in the Tel Gama area and was reportedly killed by Hamas terrorists after attempting to aid in the rescue and evacuation of attendees during the Nova music festival attack on October 7, 2023. Shtivi was 28 years old at the time of his death.

With the recovery of Weiss and Shtivi, Israel reports that 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with intelligence suggesting that only 20 of them are still alive.

The October 2023 assault by Hamas on southern Israeli communities resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 251 individuals taken captive, according to Israeli figures.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry states that over 63,000 Palestinians have died amid Israel's subsequent military campaign. The conflict has forced nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip to flee, leaving widespread destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis in its wake.