In a joint operation with Shin Bet, the Israeli army retrieved the bodies of six hostages from Khan Yunis in Gaza on Tuesday.
The hostages, identified as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Perry, and Avraham Munder, were recovered following intelligence and forensic analysis.
The military informed the families of the deceased hostages, providing them with necessary closure. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the recovery of the bodies, stating, “The recovery of the bodies provides their families with necessary closure and grants eternal rest to the murdered.”
The forum urged the Israeli government to secure the release of remaining hostages in a negotiated deal. “The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table,” it said.
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are urging Israel and Hamas to agree on a ceasefire deal to secure the release of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli kibbutz Nir Oz announced the death of Avraham Munder, 79, who was abducted by Palestinian militants on October 7. The community also lost Yoram Metzger, Chaim Perry, and Alexander Dancyg, who were among the six bodies released on Tuesday.
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in 1,199 deaths in Israel, while Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed 40,139 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN human rights office reports that most of the dead in Gaza are women and children.
