Israel recovers six hostages' bodies from Gaza tunnel

On September 1, the Israeli military reported that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in southern Gaza.

The hostages—Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Ori Danino—were found in Rafah, shortly after they were killed, as Israeli troops advanced, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that the victims had been "brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists" just before the military reached the location.   This announcement coincided with the start of a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza and ongoing violence in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing pressure after nearly 11 months of conflict with Hamas, emphasized that Israel would continue its efforts until those responsible were brought to justice. "Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal," he asserted. Senior Hamas officials have accused Israel of being responsible for the deaths of the hostages due to its refusal to agree to a ceasefire. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas figure, stated, "Netanyahu is responsible for the killing of Israeli prisoners. The Israelis must choose between Netanyahu and the deal."  

The recovered bodies were among approximately 250 hostages taken during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7 of last year, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Currently, 101 Israeli and foreign hostages remain in Gaza, though around a third of them are confirmed dead, and the fate of the others is uncertain.   The conflict has claimed around 1,200 lives on the Israeli side, while the Palestinian health ministry reports at least 40,691 Palestinian deaths and 94,060 injuries from the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.  

The news of additional recovered hostages is expected to intensify calls from Israelis for a deal to secure the release of remaining captives. The Hostage Families Forum has urged Netanyahu to address the delays in finalizing an agreement, arguing that the recent deaths occurred after nearly 11 months of suffering and starvation in Hamas captivity. Israel's Hagari reported that a few days prior, hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin from southern Israel, was rescued approximately one kilometer away from his previous location.

Following Alkadi’s rescue, troops were advised to proceed with caution due to the potential presence of other hostages in the area, although exact locations were unknown.   US President Joe Biden, who has been closely monitoring the situation, expressed his profound shock and anger over the deaths of the six hostages, including Israeli-American Goldberg-Polin. Biden vowed that "Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes" and affirmed ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages.   Goldberg-Polin, 23, was taken captive during a music festival near the Gaza border and appeared in a Hamas video released in late April. Despite the challenging circumstances, Biden maintained hope for a ceasefire agreement, noting continued negotiations.  

Despite months of intermittent talks mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, a ceasefire deal has not yet been reached, although there is a temporary truce to allow for a vaccination campaign targeting 640,000 children in Gaza. This follows the recent confirmation of a polio case in the territory, the first in 25 years.   The ongoing conflict has caused a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and heightened tensions in the West Bank.

On September 1, Israeli officials reported that three Israelis were killed in an attack near Hebron. Israeli forces have intensified raids across the West Bank, aimed at countering Islamist militants. Hamas has praised the West Bank attack as a response to the violence in Gaza, though it has not claimed responsibility.