AP reports, “The Israeli military said Tuesday that it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza, as U.S. and Arab mediators tried to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives.
The military said its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died. A forum for hostage families said they were kidnapped alive. Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes.” The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell and Buchshtav had family members who were also abducted but freed during a November cease-fire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and said “our hearts ache for the terrible loss.“The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages — both alive and dead,” he said in a statement.
According to the BBC, “They were retrieved after “prolonged combat in a built-up area and in multi-story buildings”. The six men were all kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Nirim, near Israel’s border fence with Gaza, during Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on 7 October. In June, Israel confirmed the deaths of Mr Popplewell, 51, Mr Peri, 79, and Mr Metzger, 80. The IDF stated the three men had died during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis. In July, the IDF also confirmed the deaths of Mr Buchshtab, 35, and Mr Dancyg, 76, stating an investigation was being carried out into how they died. Israeli media, citing military sources, reported at the time there was a “high probability” that at least one of the men was killed by Israeli fire.
Alexander Dancyg’s son, Mati Dancyg, said on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government had chosen to “abandon the hostages in order to survive”.
“Netanyahu chose to sacrifice the hostages. Karma will judge him and he will pay for it, big time,” he told Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
Government estimates suggest there are 105 hostages remaining in Gaza, 71 of whom are thought to be alive. An additional four hostages were already in Gaza prior to 7 October, two of whom are believed to be dead.
