Channel 12 News reports that an IDF preliminary investigation into the deaths of six Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip indicates that they were killed shortly after the IDF found them. Last night, the IDF pulled out the bodies of six people from the tunnel in the Rafah region. It is not possible to say exactly how long ago the hostages were killed by their captors, and the time is between one and three days. The National Center for Forensic Medicine will determine the time of death after examining the bodies.
The six are named Carmel Ghat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Paulin (a US citizen), Alexander Lubanov, Almog Seroussi and Ori Danino. Carmel Gat was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, while others were taken from the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’em that same day.
The tunnel where the bodies were removed was about a kilometer away from the tunnel where Israeli hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi was rescued by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) last Tuesday. The Israeli army said at the time that it believed other hostages were being held in the area.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement: “After eleven months of the Israeli government and its leader abandoning the hostages, the Hostage Families Committee announces the end of the abandonment. We call for the implementation of the deal now.”
Histadrut chairman Arnon Ben-David is under pressure from hostages’ families and top businessmen to call a general strike to support the release deal. Another meeting between Ben-David and the families of the hostages is expected to take place during the day.
On Thursday evening, the Israeli government voted in favor of a resolution proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep Israeli army forces on the Gaza side of the Philadelphia Corridor, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It has been smuggling weapons and supplies through a network of tunnels for years. Hamas insists on Israel’s withdrawal from the corridor in any deal. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant opposed the resolution, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir abstained.
Gallant said this morning: “The diplomatic-security cabinet must meet immediately and rescind Thursday’s resolution. It is too late for the hostages who were murdered in cold blood. We must bring the remaining hostages home.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “There is a way to balance the security needs of the State of Israel with its moral obligation to return the hostages. Chaotic and confrontational conduct and political considerations have interfered with our Holy of Holies. Not everyone is a leader who shirks responsibility.”
Commenting on the death of the six hostages, US President Joe Biden said he was “devastated and outraged” by the death of Hersh Goldberg-Pauli in particular. “This is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, the leaders of Hamas will pay for these crimes. And we will continue to work around the clock to negotiate a deal to release the remaining hostages,” Biden said.
Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – published on September 1, 2024.
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