The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday identified the body of an Israeli hostage recovered in Gaza as Idan Shtivi.

Shtivi, 28, was killed and his body taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, while attending the Nova music festival, where he came to support his friends' performances. Nearly two years later, as part of a "special operation" on Friday, the IDF recovered Shtivi's body.

Following the identification, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Shtivi, a student in sustainability and government at the time, as a "brave person" who tried to help festivalgoers escape the massacre that killed nearly 400 people at the music event alone.

The death toll from the terrorist attack as a whole sits at 1,200, while over 250 were taken hostage. Of those hostages, 207 have been retu

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