Israel finds bodies of 3 hostages in Gaza

Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of three hostages in the Gaza Strip, with the military saying Friday they were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and their bodies taken into Gaza.

The military did not say where the bodies were found in Gaza. Israeli forces are currently invading the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying it's the last stronghold of Hamas and hostages are being held there.

Around 1,200 people died in the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, mostly civilians, and about 250 were taken hostage by Hamas. Around half of those hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November. Israel says Hamas fighters still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

For the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza, heavy fighting and Israeli restrictions on land border crossings have hindered the entry food and other crucial supplies.

The first aid delivered via a newly built US floating pier on Gaza's coast was unloaded Friday. However, the US and aid groups warn that the sea corridor is not a substitute for land deliveries that could bring in all the food, water and fuel needed in Gaza. The UN says some 1.1 million Palestinians are on the brink of starvation.

At the UN's top court, Israel strongly denied charges it's committing genocide against the Palestinians, arguing Friday that it's doing everything it can to protect the civilian population during its military operation in Gaza. South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice to order a cease-fire.

Seven months of Israel's war in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, most of them women and children, according to local health officials. Battles are intensifying in northern Gaza, where Hamas has regrouped in areas Israel captured earlier in the conflict.

Associated Press