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IDF recovers bodies of four slain Israelis held in Gaza

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Oren Goldin, 33, Maya Goren, 56, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, and Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, were all previously declared dead in absentia.

Israeli troops located their remains during an operation in Khan Younis.

The military began a major operation on Monday to root out a Hamas resurgence in the city in southern Gaza.

According to a joint IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) statement, troops obtained intelligence on the whereabouts of the bodies through interrogations of Palestinian terrorists.

Goren, a kindergarten teacher, was taken from her home as thousands of terrorists infiltrated the border on Oct. 7 and slaughtered 1,200 people. Her husband, Avner Goren, was murdered that day; his body is still being held by Hamas.

The Israeli military confirmed on Dec. 1 that Maya was killed in Hamas captivity, without providing details on the circumstances of her death.

The couple is survived by their four children—Assif, 25; Bar, 23; Gal, 21; and Dekel, 18. Bar and Dekel were in Kibbutz Nir Oz when Hamas attacked but survived, while Asif and Gal were staying elsewhere.

Maya Goren was the teacher of 1-year-old Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli hostage, who has been in Hamas captivity for almost 300 days.

Maya Goren
Israeli hostage Maya Goren, 56, with Kfir Bibas, who was the youngest hostage taken by Hamas terrorists into Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Credit: Courtesy.

Goldin, a mechanic and member of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s civilian defense team, was killed on Oct. 7.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the kibbutz said: “Oren was the first to leave that damn morning, even before we knew how serious the danger lurking outside. In November, about a month and a half in which we were hoping for a sign of life, we were informed that Oren was killed on 7/10, and his body was being held captive.

“For almost 10 months, we read and wished for the day when his body would be brought to Israel and we would be able to bury him in the home he loved so much, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak.”

Goldin is survived by his wife, Oshrit Masala, and their 2-year-old twins, Aviv and Ilay; his parents, Adi and Yair; and his siblings, Rani and Shai.

Oren Goldin
Oren Goldin. Credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Brodski and Ahimas were killed in Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7 while battling terrorists alongside Col. Asaf Hamami, the commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade. The bodies of all three were taken to the Palestinian enclave.

Brodski and Ahimas were both declared dead in November.

Sgt. Kiril Brodski. Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas. Credit: IDF.

The IDF’s decision to re-enter Khan Younis this week was driven by new intelligence on the existence of undiscovered Hamas tunnels in the area and an uptick in rocket attacks.

The IDF informed Gaza residents on Monday that it was about to enter the city, and called on the remaining population of eastern Khan Yunis to move to the newly adjusted humanitarian zone, using text messages, phone calls and Arabic-language media broadcasts.

Since the IDF’s withdrawal from the area in April, Hamas has been working to reconstruct munitions production centers and reestablish its operational capabilities.

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