The Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the Gaza war.
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it recovered the bodies of six hostages who were taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The recovery happened as the United States, Egypt, and Qatar work to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that could lead to the release of numerous hostages still held by the militant group.
In a statement, the military said 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, though the statement did not specify when or how they died.
Five of the hostages were over 50 years old, and three had relatives who were released during a temporary cease-fire in November.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the recovery mission, expressing sorrow for the loss:
“Our hearts ache for the terrible loss.”“The State of Israel will continue all efforts to bring back all our hostages — both alive and dead”
Hamas is believed to still be holding around 110 hostages from the October 7 attack, with Israeli officials estimating that about a third of them are deceased.
