IDF recovers bodies of six hostages who were in Hamas captivity

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday said the bodies of six hostages, who were taken into custody during the October 7 attack, have been recovered during a military operation in Khan Younis. The IDF released images of the six hostages.

Sharing the development, IDF posted on X: “Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry’s bodies were rescued from the Khan Yunis area in Gaza. They were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.”

“The rescue operation was enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, intelligence units and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters,” the security forces said.

The IDF said it will continue to operate in order to return all of the remaining hostages back home.

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF and ISA had entered a tunnel in Khan Younis to conduct the complex operation when the bodies were recovered.

“The IDF and ISA conducted a complex operation, entering Hamas tunnels in Khan Younis to rescue the bodies of hostages Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry- of blessed memory. I share in the deep grief of their families and loved ones,” the minister said.

He said: “This operation reflects the determination and courage of our troops. We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war – returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas.”

There are currently 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office, reported CNN.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who is closely following negotiations in Doha, is focused on trying to end the war in Gaza, where the situation continues to remain catastrophic after more than 10 months of unrelenting war.

The UN chief’s Spokesperson told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York on Monday that Guterres had spoken to the Prime Minister of Qatar on Sunday, August 18.

“He was briefed on the state of the situation, and he will be staying in close touch and informed,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

The talks, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, are expected to resume on Wednesday or Thursday in Cairo, following a two-day meeting involving the three nations and Israel in Doha last week.

“The Secretary-General very much hopes that all the parties involved will find the political courage, the political will to come to an agreement for the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the people of Israel, for the sake of the hostages,” Dujarric added.

The already catastrophic situation in Gaza is worsening amid repeated waves of displacement, combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities and limited services, the UN Spokesperson said.

Gaza has been under an intense Israeli military offensive since the brutal 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on communities in southern Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and more than 250 were taken hostage.

As of 9 August, 115 hostages remain captive, including some declared dead and whose remains are still in Gaza.

Intense Israeli bombardment has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children and injured more than 92,000, according to the Gazan health ministry. In addition, close to 90 percent of the population has been displaced — many forced to move several times.