Israeli Military Recovers Bodies of 5 Hostages Held by Hamas in Gaza Tunnel
Gaza Strip: The Israeli military has recovered the bodies of five Israeli hostages who were held captive by Hamas in an underground tunnel network in the northern Gaza Strip. Footage released by the military shows a white-tiled bathroom and work room connected by dark concrete-lined passages.
The cause of death for the hostages remains unknown, as post-mortem examinations are pending, according to Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson. The families of the victims will be briefed first, and then the public will be informed, depending on their approval, he added.
These three soldiers and two civilians were among the 240 individuals abducted by Hamas gunmen during the cross-border rampage on October 7, which ultimately triggered the ongoing war. The military had previously announced the repatriation of their bodies earlier this month.
Hamas had released a video last week showing three of the hostages alive in a narrow, white-tiled, windowless bedroom with an electric wall socket. In a Hebrew message targeted at Israel, the Iranian-backed Islamist group accused the Israeli military of causing their deaths, stating, “Your military weapons killed the three.”
Hamas has previously claimed that some hostages died as a result of Israel’s shelling of Gaza and has even threatened to execute others.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel will intensify its operations in the nearly 12-week-long war, which has raised concerns among Western powers regarding the high civilian casualties in Gaza. There are still 129 hostages remaining.
The military video released shows engineers exploring a dark and dusty tunnel network, which reportedly has two levels – one 10 meters deep and another deeper still. According to the Israeli military, one of the tunnels led to the residence of Ahmad Al Ghandour, the chief of Hamas’ North Gaza brigade. Hamas claimed that he and several other commanders were killed in action on November 26, while Israel maintains they were targeted in one of their airstrikes.
The footage also reveals a section of the tunnel lined with white tiles, a bathroom with basic facilities, and a work room with a table and bench. Additionally, one of the tunnels contained a drinking water dispenser and a pile of bullets.
Notably, the military video did not include any images of the hostages’ bedroom shown in the Hamas video, as the design of the ceiling appeared different, although it was also tiled in white.
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