Israel recovers bodies of two Gaza hostages as Benjamin Netanyahu survives bid to collapse coalition

Death toll from war has passed 55,100, Gaza Health Ministry says

A woman at a rally in the US holds a picture of Yair Yaakov. His body has been recovered from Gaza. AP

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Israel's military and the Shin Bet intelligence agency have recovered the bodies of two hostages from Gaza, as the death toll from the war passes 55,100.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday that the body of Yair Yaakov had been retrieved, along with that of another hostage whose identity was not disclosed.

The military said Palestinian Islamic Jihad abducted and killed Mr Yaakov during the attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Militants also took Mr Yaakov’s partner, Meirav Tal, and two of his children hostage, but later released them, the army said. Mr Yaakov was 59 at the time of his death. Israel said it retrieved the two bodies in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.

They were recovered as Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll from the war had passed 55,100, with more than 127,390 injured. Many more people are believed to be buried under rubble or in areas inaccessible to medics.

Mr Netanyahu is under increasing pressure over the war. After 20 months of violence, 53 hostages are still in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive. Israel's military estimates that 40,000 armed Palestinian fighters remain in the enclave, according to media reports, despite Israel vowing to “destroy” Hamas.

Mr Netanyahu's coalition survived an opposition-backed effort to collapse the government early on Thursday, as lawmakers rejected a bill that could have paved the way for a dissolution of parliament and snap elections. Out of the Knesset's 120 members, 61 voted against the proposal, with 53 supporting it.

Gaza has been devastated by more than 20 months of Israeli bombardment. Reuters

The opposition introduced the bill hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties angry at Mr Netanyahu over the contentious issue of military conscription for members of their community. While the opposition is composed mainly of centrist and leftist groups, ultra-Orthodox parties that prop up Mr Netanyahu's government had earlier threatened to back the motion.

But most ultra-Orthodox lawmakers ultimately chose to oppose the effort to collapse the government, Israeli media reported on Thursday morning. The opposition will now have to wait six months to submit another dissolution bill.

Mr Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, is one of the most right-wing in the country's history. It includes two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. The parties threatened to back the push for early elections amid the row over conscription.

Military service is mandatory in Israel, but under a ruling that dates back to the founding of the country – when ultra-Orthodox Jews were a small community – men who devote themselves full-time to the study of sacred texts are given a de facto pass. Whether that should change has been a long-running issue.

Efforts to scrap the exemption and the anger that sparked have intensified during the war, as the military looks for more manpower. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday that bringing down the government at a time of conflict would pose "an existential danger" to Israel's future.

"History will not forgive anyone who drags the state of Israel into elections during a war," he told parliament, adding that there was a "national and security need" for the ultra-Orthodox to fight in the military.

Twenty months into the Gaza war, negotiations over a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. A brief truce collapsed in March and Israel has since intensified operations to “destroy” the group.

Israel also faces immense international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where the UN has warned the entire population faces famine. Israel last month eased an aid blockade on Gaza.

A convoy carrying hundreds of activists set off from Algeria this week en route for Gaza to challenge Israeli restrictions on aid. On Wednesday, the group arrived at the Egypt-Libya border and plans to enter the enclave at the Rafah crossing, travelling by cars and buses.

The activists are expected to go to Cairo, before travelling to Rafah. It was not clear whether members of the convoy were able to cross into Egypt as of Wednesday night. But the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that foreign delegations needed to obtain approval before visiting the area bordering Gaza.