On Saturday evening, the Israeli army found the bodies of six hostages from the Islamist group Hamas in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area, south of the Gaza Strip. The discovery, which comes amid pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has sparked a wave of reactions from the international community.
Who were they and where were they found?
The deceased, all taken hostage on October 7 during the Hamas attack on Israeli territory, have been identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the six hostages were killed by Hamas shortly before forces reached them, according to an initial investigation.
Their bodies were located about a kilometer from where the Bedouin hostage, Kaid Farhan al Qadi, was found alive last week, Hagari said.
Who killed them?
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine determined on Sunday that the six hostages were “killed” by “several shots” fired by Hamas militants.
“The six hostages were found to have been killed by Hamas terrorists with several shots fired at close range. According to the forensic examination, it is estimated that the hostages’ deaths occurred approximately 48 to 72 hours prior to their examination (between Thursday and early Friday morning),” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Hamas, however, on Sunday blamed Israel and its main partner and arms supplier, the United States, for the hostages’ deaths, saying they were killed by Israeli “bombing.”
How many hostages are left?
This brings the number of people still held captive to 97, down from 251 kidnapped on October 7. Of those, at least 33 are confirmed dead.
The Hostage Families Forum reproached Netanyahu for the fact that only eight hostages have been rescued alive in military operations, compared to the 105 freed in the only truce agreement in November, in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
What did Netanyahu say?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked for “forgiveness” from the family of Alexander Lobanov, one of the six hostages of the Islamist group Hamas who were found dead yesterday by the Israeli Army in Gaza.
“I would like to tell you how sorry I am and I apologize for not being able to bring Alexander back alive,” Netanyahu told the young man’s parents, Oxana and Grigory Lobanov, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
However, the discovery of the hostages’ bodies has revived growing differences within the government, between those who recognise the urgency of an agreement after almost eleven months of war, and the more extremist wing of the cabinet which advocates an even more violent response in the Strip, claiming to prioritise Israel’s “security”.
What did the hostages’ families say?
Relatives of the hostages were furious on Sunday after learning of the death of their loved ones, saying that if Netanyahu had signed a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, they would still be alive. They called for a day of mass protests and a national strike.
“Those who kill hostages do not want an agreement,” the prime minister replied in a recorded message.
With information from EFE.
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