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 US 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, per the AP. The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a lasting ceasefire. But it was also likely to increase pressure on Israel's government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.
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 ceasefire. Munder's death was confirmed on Tuesday by Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where he was among around 80 residents who were taken captive. It said he died "after enduring months of physical and mental torture." Israeli authorities had previously determined that the other five were deceased.
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. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also praised the operation, which he said had been carried out inside Hamas' vast tunnel network. There were no immediate reports of any casualties among Israelis or Palestinians in the recovery operation. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli authorities estimate around a third of them are dead. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
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