The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza. The operation, carried out overnight, targeted an underground tunnel route where the hostages had been held by Hamas. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) confirmed the identities of the deceased as Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell, and Yagev Buchshtab.
Five of the six hostages recovered had already been declared dead in recent months. The operation was described as complex, involving extensive combat in urban areas, and was supported byintelligence from the IDF and ISA.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the families of the hostages and praised the bravery of the forces involved in the operation. He reiterated Israel’s commitment to retrieving all remaining hostages, both alive and deceased, from Gaza.
The retrieval of the bodies comes as negotiations for a ceasefire continue, with significant international involvement. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently in the region, indicated that Israel had accepted a U.S. “bridging proposal” aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of additional hostages. However, Hamas has rejected claims that it is obstructing the negotiations, instead accusing Israel of complicating the process with new demands.
The Hostage Families Forum, representing the families of those still held in Gaza, welcomed the recovery of the bodies, stating it provided “necessary closure.” The group urged the Israeli government to finalize a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
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