Israels army says three hostages bodies recovered
From [email protected] on 2024-05-17 23:18
?
9 hours ago
Share
bringhomenow on Instagram
Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say.
The bodies were those of Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter, it said. The IDF said they had been murdered on 7 October and their remains taken back to Gaza.
Local media reported that the bodies were found in a Hamas tunnel.
About 1,200 people were killed in an unprecedented attack when Hamas gunmen burst into Israel. They took 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the news "heart-breaking".
"We will return all of our hostages, the living and the deceased alike," he said.
In a statement, the IDF said the bodies had been recovered in an operation overnight. It said it had acted on intelligence gleaned from "interrogations of terrorists" who had been detained in Gaza.
It said the three victims had been killed at an intersection near the site of the Nova festival massacre in southern Israel, before their bodies were taken to Gaza.
More than 360 people were killed at the festival. About 125 hostages remain unaccounted for, with the others having been released or rescued.
The Hostages Family Forum, a group bringing together relatives of those being held, said they "bow their heads in deep sorrow and with broken hearts following the announcement". They said the three had been killed by "Hamas terrorists", adding, "may their memories be a blessing".
Under a deal agreed in November, Hamas released 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
It is not clear how many of those unaccounted for are still alive.
Following the IDF's announcement, the armed wing of Hamas said the captives they hold would return only through an "honourable exchange deal for our people".
Long-running talks in Cairo aimed at securing a truce and further hostage releases are currently stalled.
After the 7 October attacks, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
About 2.2 million Palestinians are facing chronic food shortages and are in urgent need of shelter and other assistance, the UN says.
Related
US confirms first aid trucks arrive via Gaza pier
7 hrs ago
?
World
Stories of the hostages taken by Hamas from Israel
12 hrs ago
?
Middle East
Acts pull out of festival over Israel-Gaza conflict
12 hrs ago
More
15 hrs ago
Gaza protest leaves university lawn after negotiation
The crowds leave Senate House, but only after the university arranged to move its graduation events.
Cambridgeshire
18 hrs ago
领英推荐
Israel accuses South Africa of false claims at ICJ
Israel's lawyers push back against South Africa, which is trying to get its Rafah offensive stopped.
World
18 hrs ago
UN defends Gaza casualty tally amid Israeli anger
A recent drop in UN estimates of killed Palestinian women and children brought Israeli criticism.
Middle East
19 hrs ago
What did ICJ ruling mean in South Africa's genocide case against Israel?
The ICJ ruling has come under intense scrutiny, centring on the word "plausible". What did the court mean?
World
23 hrs ago
Israel troops posting abuse footage despite pledge to act
Images shared online include Palestinian detainees draped in the Israeli flag and held in stress positions
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Biodun Iginla
Senior News Analyst, BBC News; France24; Reuters; The Economist Intelligence Unit
International phone (Google): 1-612-401-1353
My email:?[email protected]
My address in the UK:
26 Warwick Road, SW9? 934
UK
My address in France:
4 rue Rocroy
Paris 13th Arrondisement
France
My address in the US:
544 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
My Linkedin Profile