Israel military recovers bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza operation; PM Netanyahu offers condolences

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages who were taken during Hamas' attack on October 7, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The recovery occurred amid efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, aimed at securing the release of numerous hostages held by the militant group.

In a statement, the military confirmed that its forces recovered the bodies during an overnight operation in southern Gaza. The hostages were identified as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry. The military did not disclose the circumstances of their deaths.

Among the six, five were over 50 years old at the time of their capture, and three had relatives who were released during a ceasefire in November. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the recovery operation, expressing deep sorrow over the loss, stating, “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.

Hamas is still believed to be holding approximately 110 hostages captured during the October 7 attack. Israeli authorities estimate that around a third of these hostages have died.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his ninth visit to the region since the war began, stated on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a proposal aimed at bridging gaps in the ceasefire negotiations and urged Hamas to do the same.

Hamas, however, has accused the United States of aligning with Israeli demands and attempting to impose them on the militant group.

On October 7, Hamas-led militants breached Israel’s defenses, launching an assault across the southern region that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of around 250 hostages. Over 100 of these hostages were released last year during a weeklong ceasefire, in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

In response, Israel's military offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, though it does not specify how many of the deceased were militants. The air and ground operations have caused widespread devastation, forcing the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes.

Mediators have been working to finalize a proposal for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all hostages in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a lasting truce. However, significant differences between the two sides remain unresolved.

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