The IDF announced that the bodies of four Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 were brought back to Israel as part of a special operation. The victims are Shani Louk (22), Amit Buskila (28), Yitzhak Gelernter (56) and Ron Binyamin (52).

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Friday that Louk, Buskila and Gelernter had managed to flee the Nova music festival in Re'im, in southern Israel, but were then brutally murdered near the Mefalsim community and brought back to Gaza by the terrorists.

The bodies of the three hostages were recovered thanks to intelligence information provided by Palestinian terrorists during interrogations carried out by the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, and by the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate.

Nissim Louk, the father of Shani, whose body appeared in an image that went viral where she was being paraded around like a trophy by Hamas terrorists in the back of a van, said: "This morning we were informed that soldiers from a commando team that was in the area found the bodies. We are sorry and it hurts us, but we also feel relief."

Eden Wessely, Amit's friend, said: "I am devastated. I expected a different ending, a happy ending; for her to come back to tell her how much we are waiting for her."

Hagari announced on Saturday that a fourth body, that of Binyamin, had been found during Friday's operation. Like the other three, he was killed in Mefalim on October 7. The family was notified during the day.

Israel finds 50 tunnels used by Hamas to enter Egyptian territory

Jerusalem responded to South Africa's accusation of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. During the second day of the court hearing, Gilad Noam, the lawyer representing the Jewish state, argued that the Gazan city of Rafah, where the IDF is carrying out a military incursion, is a focal point for much terrorist activity; "It is the terrorist stronghold of Hamas," he said. He also pointed out that "there is an infrastructure of tunnels ... that branches out under the entire city." Noam stressed that 50 of these tunnels enter Egyptian territory. He added that Hamas uses them to supply weapons and ammunition, and they may also have been used to take hostages out of Gaza since the beginning of the war. "More than 1,400 rockets have been launched from Rafah alone," he said.

Noam justified the anti-terrorist operation in Gaza, stating that any country that had found itself in the difficult situation that Israel is in would have done the same.

The lawyer said Israel is aware of Hamas' efforts to use civilians in Rafah as human shields, and that is why the terrorist group is holding hostages there. He added that Israel is taking measures to try to address the enormous complexity inherent in such a situation. Noam clarified that this is why so far there has not been any extensive attack on Rafah, but rather specific operations targeting certain areas. He also stressed that the IDF is concerned about the evacuation of civilians and humanitarian activity in the area .

"There is a tragic war going on, but there is no genocide," said Noam.