ANKARA

The Israeli army claimed Thursday to have recovered the bodies of two captives from the Gaza Strip.

A military statement said the remains were retrieved from Khan Younis in southern Gaza in a joint operation between the army and the Shin Bet domestic security service.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation to recover the remains was conducted overnight.

"We will not rest until we bring all our hostages home - both the living and the dead," Netanyahu said.

There was no comment from the Palestinian group Hamas on the Israeli claim.

Israel estimates that there are still 56 captives held in Gaza, including at least 20 alive.

Last month, Hamas proposed a comprehensive package agreement to release all captives from Gaza in exchange for ending the Israeli war on Gaza, but Israel rejected the plan.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 54,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.