A funeral was held in Israel on Friday for Noa Marciano, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Marciano's body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza earlier this week. Another hostage, 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss, was also found dead near Al-Shifa, according to the IDF.

The IDF released a statement on Friday, stating that the national task at hand is to locate the missing individuals and bring the abducted persons back home. They emphasized their commitment to this mission and vowed to continue until it is completed. The IDF credited targeted intelligence for allowing them to pinpoint the exact location of Marciano's body.

Furthermore, the IDF claimed that Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza's largest hospital, is situated above a main Hamas command center. They released photos and videos on Thursday, showing what they described as Hamas "terror infrastructure" within the hospital, including an operational tunnel shaft, weapons, and ammunition. Israel has provided intelligence to support these claims.

In response to these developments, Israel has indicated that it may expand its operations further south in Gaza. Many civilians from the north have already fled to the southern region after being advised to evacuate for their safety. Israel dropped leaflets in areas near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, urging civilians to evacuate. However, the heads of 18 U.N. agencies and aid groups rejected Israel's proposal to concentrate civilians in one safe zone near the coast, citing concerns about the ongoing war's dangers.

The body of Yehudit Weiss, who was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attack, was found in a building near Al-Shifa hospital. The IDF did not provide specific details about how or when Weiss was killed. They did mention that military equipment and weapons were found alongside her body. The IDF also recovered guns and grenades from the hospital itself and discovered a tunnel shaft on its grounds.

Out of the approximately 240 hostages taken during the attacks, two Americans and two Israelis have been released. The fate of the remaining hostages, including the number of potential casualties, remains unclear. Israel is currently considering a proposal for Hamas to release a portion of the hostages, particularly children and civilians, in exchange for a temporary cease-fire lasting three to five days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Norah O'Donnell, anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News," and mentioned that there were strong indications that hostages were held at Al-Shifa Hospital. However, by the time the Israeli military launched a ground operation at the hospital early Wednesday morning, they were no longer there. The IDF did not confirm whether they believed Weiss had been held at the hospital before her death.

Al-Shifa hospital had been the center of a tense standoff in the days leading up to the ground operation. Israel claimed that Hamas was using the medical facility as a base, a claim supported by the U.S. but denied by Hamas and doctors at the hospital. In previous clashes with Israel, Hamas has been known to use schools and hospitals as rocket-launching sites. The hospital experienced a power outage over the weekend due to a lack of fuel for its generators, resulting in the relocation of babies from their incubators. The incursion into the hospital was deeply concerning to United Nations officials, who warned of the dangers of targeting a medical facility.

The IDF sent battery-powered incubators to Al-Shifa hospital, and they released photos showing soldiers standing beside boxes marked "baby food" and "medical supplies." The situation remains tense, with ongoing military operations and the search for missing hostages continuing.

Contributing to this report were Haley Ott, Margaret Brennan, and Norah O'Donnell. Haley Ott is a foreign reporter for cbsnews.com, based in the CBS News London bureau. She joined the team in 2018 and has previously worked for outlets such as Al Jazeera, Monocle, and Vice News. Cara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com and can be contacted at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com.