JERUSALEM: Two Israeli kibbutzim announced on Wednesday that the Israeli army had retrieved from Gaza the bodies of two hostages, whose deaths had been previously announced by the military. The army, in a rescue operation, brought to Israel the bodies of hostages Maya Goren and Oren Goldin, the kibbutzim Nir Oz and Nir Yitzhak said in separate statements. “Last night, we were informed that in a military rescue operation, the body of the late Maya Goren was recovered,” kibbutz Nir Oz said, adding that her family was updated a few hours ago and that more information would follow. In December the military had announced the death of Goren, who was abducted and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attack by Hamas militants. Later in a separate statement kibbutz Nir Yitzhak said the army had returned the body of Goldin. “This evening, we were informed about the rescue operation for the late Oren Goldin, a member of the kibbutz emergency team, who fell on October 7” during the attack by Hamas militants, Nir Yitzhak said. On October 7 Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli communities, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages, 114 of whom remain in Gaza, including 42 the military says are dead. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,145 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.