Israeli troops recover bodies of three hostages in the Gaza Strip

Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of three hostages in the Gaza Strip, with the military saying Friday they were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and their bodies taken into Gaza.

The military did not say where the bodies were found in Gaza. Israeli forces are currently invading the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying it’s the last stronghold of Hamas and hostages are being held there.

Around 1,200 people died in the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, mostly civilians, and about 250 were taken hostage by Hamas. 

Around half of those hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November. 

Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

For the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza, heavy fighting and Israeli restrictions on land border crossings have hindered the entry of food and other crucial supplies.

The first aid delivered via a newly built U.S. floating pier on Gaza’s coast was unloaded Friday. However, the U.S. and aid groups warn that the sea corridor is not a substitute for land deliveries that could bring in all the food, water, and fuel needed in Gaza. 

The U.N. says some 1.1 million Palestinians are on the brink of starvation.

Netanyahu has vowed to both eliminate Hamas and bring all the hostages back, but he’s made little progress. He faces pressure to resign, and the U.S. has threatened to scale back its support over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israelis are divided into two main camps: those who want the government to put the war on hold and free the hostages, and others who think the hostages are an unfortunate price to pay for eradicating Hamas. On-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have yielded little.