Israel retrieved the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza overnight, according to statements from the military and the prime minister’s office on Tuesday.
The recovery came as the United States, Egypt, and Qatar work to mediate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which aims to facilitate the release of numerous hostages held by the militant group.
The families of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Chaim Perry have been informed, the statements added. Israeli authorities are still examining the circumstances of the hostages’ deaths while the conflict persists.
Five of the hostages were over 50 years old when they were captured, and three had family members who were released during a week-long ceasefire in November. More than 100 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel during the week-long ceasefire.
The Hostages Families Forum, an organisation that represents most hostage families, welcomed the news but renewed its call on the government to conclude a hostage release deal with the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalise the deal currently on the table,” it said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East this week trying to secure a ceasefire and hostage return agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s military has since levelled swathes of the Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The mediators have been working to finalize a proposal for a three-phase plan, where Hamas would release all hostages in exchange for the release of additional Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from the territory, and a permanent truce. However, significant differences between the two sides still remain.
(With inputs from Reuters)
