Israeli Military Confirms Discovery of Bodies of Six Hostages in Gaza Tunnel
The Israeli military has confirmed that its troops have discovered the bodies of six hostages, including a dual U.S. citizen, in a tunnel in southern Gaza. This revelation comes as the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian enclave continues, having resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian fatalities since the conflict escalated on October 7.
Following violent events in which approximately 250 individuals were taken hostage in southern Israel, the coastal area of Gaza has faced relentless bombardment. Israel has rejected ceasefire agreements that could secure the release of the hostages. The military reported that the bodies were found in the Rafah area and subsequently identified in Israel. The deceased hostages have been named as Almog Sarusi, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The Hostage Family Forum, which has been critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the situation, has called for a large protest this Sunday to demand a “complete shutdown of the country,” aiming to pressure for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. They stated, “An agreement for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Without the delays and excuses, those whose deaths we heard about this morning would likely still be alive. It is time to bring our hostages home.”
A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Risheq, claimed that the six hostages were killed during Israeli airstrikes and accused the United States of “bias and support” in the conflict. Netanyahu responded by stating that Israel will “hold Hamas accountable” and declared that “those who kill hostages do not want an agreement” for peace in Gaza.
Menachem Klein, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, criticized Netanyahu for not negotiating the release of the hostages, arguing this amounted to “signing the death sentence” for the Israeli captives. “Israel refuses to acknowledge reality,” he said. “That is a problem, and it has cost Israeli hostages their lives.”
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his “outrage and anger” over the killings of the six hostages and promised that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.” He also vowed to work towards securing the release of the remaining hostages. However, a ceasefire proposal put forth by Biden in May was rejected by Netanyahu.
While approximately 100 hostages are still held in Gaza, 105 were released in an agreement with Hamas, which conditioned a ceasefire on the release of the remaining captives. Israel has faced accusations of war crimes against the Palestinians, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.