Israel's military recovered the bodies of two hostages, Canadian Israeli Judih Weinstein-Haggai and her husband, Israeli American Gadi Haggai, who were held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the bodies of the husband and wife were recovered in a special operation from Khan Younis area in the Gaza Strip.

"Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. Our hearts ache for the most terrible loss. May their memory be blessed," Netanyahu said in a statement.

Kibbutz Nir Oz announced the deaths of Weinstein-Haggai, 70, and Haggai, 72, both of whom had Israeli and U.S. citizenship, in December 2023. The Israeli military said they were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and taken into Gaza by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that it said had also abducted and killed Shiri Bibas and her two
small children. 

Weinstein-Haggai grew up in Canada and held Canadian and U.S. citizenship. She was born in New York state but moved to Toronto at the age of three, and then moved to Israel 20 years later to live with Haggai. She was a mother of four and a grandmother of seven.

Weinstein-Haggai was among several Canadian citizens killed in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Following the recovery of two bodies, 56 hostages are still held by Hamas, with fewer than half believed to be alive, according to Israeli estimates.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.