Israel says soldiers have recovered the body of a hostage near Al-Shifa hospital.

Israeli soldiers have recovered the body of one of the hostages kidnapped during last month’s Hamas-led attack on Israel in a building next to the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza City, the Israeli army said on Thursday evening.

The body of 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss, a resident of Be’eri, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, was found by troops who had taken control of much of the hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, in recent days taken over. in and under it. Israeli officials say the hospital complex houses major Hamas facilities, some in underground bunkers, a claim rejected by Hamas and hospital officials.

The Army, in a statement announcing the recovery of her body, did not say how Ms. Weiss had died. Vice Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters that soldiers had found weapons belonging to her captors near her remains.

“Yehudit was killed by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and we were unable to reach her in time,” he said.

Israeli authorities said Hamas and other Palestinian groups took about 240 people hostage in the October 7 surprise attack that left about 1,200 dead in Israel. The ongoing hostage crisis – involving dozens of dual nationals – has stunned the country and complicated Israeli hopes of overthrowing Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas has so far released four Israeli hostages and Israeli forces successfully rescued a 19-year-old Israeli soldier last month. Negotiations reportedly advanced this week for the release of 50 hostages in return for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and a cessation of hostilities for several days.

Israeli forces transferred Ms. Weiss’ body to Israel for forensic examination by health officials, who confirmed her identity, the Israeli military said. Her husband, Shmulik Weiss, was killed in the Oct. 7 attack, Admiral Hagari said.

Their community, Be’eri, a close-knit kibbutz of about 1,000 residents, was devastated by the Hamas attack. At least 86 residents were killed in the attack, while about 25 are missing, according to the kibbutz administration. Many of them are said to have been kidnapped in Gaza.

In a video statement after her abduction, Ms. Weiss’ family said she and Mr. Weiss stopped responding to messages around 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 7. Both phones were later traced to Gaza, their son Ohad said.

“We had so much hope that mom would come back,” another son, Omer, told reporters Thursday evening after learning of his mother’s death. “We wished and hoped. Unfortunately it was too late for us, but maybe not for the rest of the families.”