Israel announces bodies of 6 hostages abducted during Hamas' Oct 7 massacre recovered in Gaza tunnel
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Sep 1, 2024, 10:21 AM ISTIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) have recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a tragic development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from a Hamas tunnel in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. The hostages, identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Ori Danino, 25, Alex Lubnov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Almog Sarusi, 25, were reportedly murdered by their captors shortly before being found by Israeli troops.
The IDF announced that the six hostages were killed by Hamas militants a short time before their bodies were discovered, estimating that the murders occurred possibly a day or two prior to the recovery operation. The military had been operating in the area with the understanding that hostages might be present, though they lacked precise intelligence on the exact location.
The bodies of Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino were found and recovered yesterday.
They were all taken hostage on October 7 and were murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization while in captivity… pic.twitter.com/9VWYHNX0Ks
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The operation to locate the hostages began yesterday when IDF forces started a meticulous search through a complex network of tunnels in Rafah. Their efforts culminated in the discovery of the bodies on Saturday afternoon. Following the grim find, the IDF carefully extracted the bodies overnight and transported them back to Israel for identification.
Reports quoting military sources indicated that there were no direct clashes with Hamas militants during the recovery operation. It is believed that the guards who executed the hostages fled the scene prior to the arrival of Israeli forces.
The tunnel in Rafah where the hostages were found is situated approximately one kilometer from the location where Israeli forces had earlier rescued hostage Farhan al-Qadi earlier this week. The proximity of the two sites highlights the extensive and intricate network of tunnels used by Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip.
The six victims had been held captive since their abduction on October 7. Goldberg-Polin, Yerushalmi, Danino, Lubnov, and Sarusi were kidnapped from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, while Gat was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri.
The recovery of the bodies has deepened the sense of loss and grief across Israel, as the nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of the brutal kidnappings carried out by Hamas. Israeli authorities have vowed to continue their efforts to bring back all hostages and hold the responsible parties accountable.
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