Body of second Israeli hostage found near main Gaza hospital

Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The body of a second female Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel has been found near to Gaza's besieged Al-Shifa Hospital.

The body of Israel Defense Forces soldier, Corporal Noa Marciano, was recovered by troops from a building near the strip's largest hospital in Gaza City and returned to Israel on Thursday, the Israeli military said in a news release.

"Following an identification process that was conducted by military medical and rabbinate personnel, IDF representatives informed her family that her body was extracted and returned to Israeli territory."

The discovery of Marciano, whose death has been previously announced, came hours after IDF recovered the body of 65-year-old Yehuddit Weiss, a resident of Kibbutz Be' eri in southern Israel, earlier Thursday from another structure near the Al-Shifa complex.

The IDF said locating and bringing the remaining hostages home was among its highest priorities and that it was working "alongside and in full coordination" with relevant national and security institutions in pursuit of its goal.

"We will not cease from the mission until it will be completed."

Israeli forces remained inside the hospital late Thursday after storming it for the second time in 24 hours, claiming to have found a clandestine Hamas war command post beneath the complex.

The hospital has run out of fuel, electricity and, some doctors say, hope, after physicians have reportedly performed limited procedures by candlelight and without anesthesia, bereft of sufficient fuel and medical supplies to sustain a viable medical service. The hospital also houses a number of premature babies and other infants that doctors are battling to keep alive.

"Thousands of women, children, sick and wounded are in danger of death" as Israeli raids on al-Shifa continue for a third night," said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra. He has accused Israeli forces of destroying radiology and dialysis units in the hospital.

Hamas and doctors at Al-Shifa have continued to deny the presence of the war command post and while video shared by NBC News does not appear to confirm its existence, the discovery nearby of the bodies of the two women goes some way to supporting Israel's claims.

The IDF said it discovered weapons and artillery, including AK-47s, hand grenades, military uniforms and a laptop that included a photo of a kidnapped Israeli soldier in the hospital. It is not clear if the photo was of Marciano.

Israeli officials say 239 people are still being held hostage in Gaza although it is unclear how many are being, or have been held, at Al-Shifa. More than 1.6 million people have reportedly been displaced by the war since Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Gaza health officials confirm at least 11,200 people have been killed since the war began.