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Israel has announced the recovery of the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the bodies were found on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area.
The hostages have been identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sgt Ori Danino. IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that an initial assessment suggests the hostages were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.”
Following the confirmation of Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s death, US President Joe Biden expressed his devastation and outrage. Biden highlighted that Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen, was among those attacked while attending a music festival in Israel on 7 October. “He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre. He had just turned 23 and planned to travel the world,” Biden said.
The IDF’s statement on Sunday confirmed that the bodies had been “returned to Israeli territory” and noted that the families had been notified. The hostages were taken on 7 October, and their deaths were attributed to the Hamas terrorist organisation.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack on 7 October, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Since then, over 40,530 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Efforts by US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators are ongoing to broker a ceasefire. The proposed deal would involve Hamas releasing the remaining 97 hostages, including at least 27 presumed dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
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