Israel Recovers Six Hostages' Bodies from Gaza Tunnel
Israeli forces have found the bodies of six hostages who were held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Saturday that the bodies were discovered in an underground tunnel located in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. The hostages have been identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, stated that preliminary assessments suggest the hostages were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.”
However, Izzat al-Rishq, a senior official of Hamas, accused Israel of being responsible for the deaths, citing Israel’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire deal. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to ensure that those responsible for the killings face justice. He emphasized that his government remains committed to securing the release of those still held captive while safeguarding Israel’s security. “Those who murder hostages do not want a deal,” Netanyahu stated.
A group representing the families of the hostages, the Hostages Families Forum, has criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to “address the nation and take responsibility for abandoning the hostages.” The group claimed that the six hostages “were murdered in the last few days after enduring nearly 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation in Hamas captivity.” They argued that delays in negotiating a deal led to their deaths and the deaths of others held hostage.
The Hostages Families Forum also announced plans for nationwide protests on Sunday, calling for a hostage exchange deal. They urged the public to participate in demonstrations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and other parts of Israel.
Meanwhile, a Bedouin Arab man who was recently rescued by Israeli forces in Gaza has called on Israel to negotiate a deal with Hamas to release all remaining hostages. After returning to his village in southern Israel, he expressed his happiness at being freed but noted that it would not be complete as long as there were still detainees on both sides.
In its Sunday morning statement confirming the deaths, the IDF announced that the bodies had been “returned to Israeli territory” and noted that the hostages had been taken on October 7, 2023. The families of the victims have been informed.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed deep sorrow over the news, stating that “the heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces.” He extended his condolences to the families, saying, “I apologize for failing to bring them home safely.”
The death of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the hostages and an American citizen, prompted a response from U.S. President Joe Biden, who said he was “devastated and outraged.” Biden described Goldberg-Polin as a brave young man who had just turned 23 and was attending a music festival in Israel when he was captured. “He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre,” Biden noted. He also praised Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Jon and Rachel, for their strength and resilience amid the tragedy.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza followed a large-scale attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages. Since then, over 40,738 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.
Efforts by mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire deal continue. The proposed agreement would involve Hamas releasing the 97 remaining hostages, including at least 33 presumed dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, a UN-led polio vaccination campaign has begun in Gaza to address the recent detection of the virus in wastewater samples. The campaign, aimed at vaccinating around 640,000 children under the age of 10, will be conducted during three “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting. This effort follows the discovery of the first polio infection in more than 25 years in a 10-month-old Palestinian child last month.
