Israel announced on Tuesday (August 20) that the bodies of six hostages were found in southern Gaza, and they will continue negotiations with Hamas to ensure the release of over 100 hostages still trapped in this Palestinian enclave, bringing them back home.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on social media platform X that the bodies of six hostages were found in the southern city of Khan Younis in Gaza. These six hostages were kidnapped by Hamas to Gaza in an attack on October 7 last year.
The Israeli military has identified the six hostages as: 80-year-old Chaim Perry, 80-year-old Yoram Metzger, 79-year-old Avraham Munder, 76-year-old Alexander Dancyg, 51-year-old Nadav Popplewell, and 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab.
The families of Metzger, Munder, Popplewell, and Buchshtab were also kidnapped but were released during a ceasefire agreement between both sides in November last year.
The IDF stated in a post on platform X that the search for the hostages was conducted based on accurate intelligence provided by the Israeli intelligence agency.
“We will continue our operations to ensure the remaining hostages are brought back home,” the post read.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israeli soldiers found the bodies of the hostages through “complex operations” in underground tunnels.
Gallant stated in a release, “We will continue to strive towards achieving the goals of this war – bringing the hostages back to Israel and dismantling Hamas.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military’s operation and expressed sorrow over the tragic loss.
He said in a statement, “The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to bring back all our hostages – whether they are alive or deceased.”
Following the discovery of the bodies of the six hostages, it is believed that there are still 109 hostages abducted on October 7 last year in Gaza, with approximately one-third believed to have died, while the fate of the remaining hostages remains unknown.
After Tuesday’s announcement, the “Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum,” established after the attack on October 7, once again urged the Israeli government to reach an agreement with Hamas as soon as possible for the release of the hostages.
The organization representing the families of the majority of the hostages stated, “Only through a negotiated agreement can the remaining 109 hostages return home immediately. The Israeli government must, with the assistance of mediators, do everything possible to finalize the agreements currently on the table.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to the Middle East, his ninth visit since the outbreak of the Gaza war, aiming to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas regarding the end of the Gaza war and ensuring the release of the hostages, and to reach a final agreement.