• IDF discovers hostage bodies in Rafah
    Security and Terrorism West Asia

    Israel: Bodies of 6 hostages recovered by IDF

    European Newsdesk Posted on

    Bodies of 6 hostages were discovered by Israel’s IDF in Gaza tunnel. Hostages were murdered between 48 and 72 hours before they were found. Netanyahu does not publicly comment ; “Hamas will pay”, says Biden.

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday that the bodies of six hostages who were abducted alive by Hamas on October 7 were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. The hostages, identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23), Eden Yerushalmi (24), Ori Danino (25), Alex Lobanov (32), Carmel Gat (40), and Almog Sarusi (27), were found shortly after they were murdered by Hamas terrorists.

    Goldberg-Polin, Yerushalmi, Lobanov, Sarusi, and Danino, who was an off-duty noncommissioned officer, were taken from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, while Gat was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri. According to an examination by the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, the bodies had multiple gunshot wounds, and the hostages were killed between 48 and 72 hours before their autopsies, likely between Thursday and Friday morning.

    IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that the six were “brutally murdered” by Hamas shortly before troops arrived in the area, possibly just a day or two before being found. The hostages’ bodies were discovered in a tunnel complex about 20 meters underground during an IDF operation on Saturday. The bodies were retrieved overnight and brought back to Israel for identification. The IDF noted that there were no clashes with Hamas terrorists inside the tunnel, as the guards who likely committed the murders had fled the area, although there were battles with Hamas operatives aboveground.

    U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his devastation and outrage over the deaths, especially that of dual Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin. He emphasized that Hamas leaders would be held accountable for these crimes and that efforts to secure the release of remaining hostages would continue. Vice President Kamala Harris also offered condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, reiterating that Hamas has “even more American blood on its hands.”

    In Israel, the announcement of the deaths has sparked significant public outcry, particularly against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. Critics accuse the government of failing to secure a deal to return the hostages, thereby leaving them vulnerable to such a fate. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of those abducted, has called for major protests, expressing frustration over the government’s handling of the situation and urging immediate action to bring the remaining hostages home.

    The deaths of these hostages follow a series of recoveries and rescues in recent months, as the crisis nears its 12th month, with a significant number of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

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