Jerusalem, Aug 20 (EFE).— The Israeli military has recovered the bodies of six hostages from Gaza who were kidnapped during the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, officials said on Tuesday.
The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement that the operation was conducted jointly with the intelligence agency Shin Bet. Five of the hostages had already been reported dead, while the death of the sixth was confirmed only today.
The bodies were found during an overnight operation in the southern city of Khan Younis. The hostages have been identified as Alex Dancyg, 75; Yagev Buchshtav, 35; Chaim Peri, 79; Yoram Metzger, 80; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Avraham Munder, 78.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent his condolences to the families of the six hostages.
“The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all our hostages — both the living and the fallen.”
Dancyg and Buchshtav were confirmed dead by the IDF in late July, while Peri, Metzger, and Popplewell were declared dead in June. The five were believed to have been killed in Khan Younis in early 2024, although the exact causes of death remain unknown.
Munder, whose death had not been previously confirmed, had been a source of concern for the IDF due to limited information about his well-being. Munder, along with Dancyg, Peri, and Metzger, was abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Buchshtav and Popplewell were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nirim.
The announcement means that out of the 251 hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7, 105 are still held in the Gaza Strip, including 34 presumed dead by the IDF.
Munder, Dancyg, Peri and Metzger were all abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, while Buchshtav and Popplewell were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nirim.
“It is with deep sorrow that Kibbutz Nir Oz announces the murder of Avraham Munder while he was held hostage in Gaza,” the community said in a statement, adding that the 79-year-old man endured “physical and mental torture for months.”
Munder’s body was reportedly found in a tunnel in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, where the Israeli army has been conducting an intense offensive for the past month. According to initial estimates, his death occurred in March, although the cause is still under investigation.
Munder’s son, Roy, was killed during the Oct. 7 attack, while the father was kidnapped along with his wife, Ruti, his daughter, Keren, and his 9-year-old grandson, Ohad.
The three were released during the November truce between Israel and Hamas after 49 days in captivity.
Since the war began, Israel and Hamas have managed to agree only on a one-week truce in late November, which facilitated the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The announcement comes as the international community works to secure another ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that could facilitate the release of the remaining hostages.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in Israel. He announced last night that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a new ceasefire proposal. EFE
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