September 1, 2024
Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The bodies were found on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. The IDF identified the victims as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sgt Ori Danino.
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari reported that the initial assessment indicates the hostages were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.” Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq, however, claimed that Israel is responsible for their deaths, attributing the incident to Israel’s refusal to sign a ceasefire deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that those responsible for the killings will be brought to justice. He also emphasized his government’s commitment to securing a deal for the release of remaining hostages and ensuring national security.
In response, the Hostages Families Forum has called on Netanyahu to address the nation and take responsibility for what they perceive as a failure to secure the hostages’ release. They have also planned protests across Israel to demand a hostage exchange deal.
Opposition politician Yair Lapid has criticized Netanyahu’s government, accusing it of prioritizing coalition interests over the lives of hostages.
A recent rescue of a Bedouin Arab man from Gaza has further highlighted the urgency of securing a deal. The man, Kaid Farhan Elkadi, expressed his hope for a resolution to free all remaining detainees.
The IDF confirmed that the recovered bodies have been returned to Israeli territory and that their families have been notified. Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed deep sorrow over the killings, extending his condolences to the victims’ families.
The deaths of the hostages come amid ongoing efforts by US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The agreement aims to secure the release of 97 remaining hostages, including at least 33 presumed dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
In Gaza, more than 40,738 people have been killed since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The situation has prompted a multi-day polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, following the discovery of the virus in wastewater samples earlier this summer.
