The Israeli military said Tuesday that it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas' October 7 attack that started the war in Gaza, as US and Arab mediators tried to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives. The military said its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died. A forum for hostage families said they were kidnapped alive.
Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes. The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire. But it was also likely to increase pressure on Israel's government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.
The military said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell and Buchshtav had family members who were also abducted but freed during a November cease-fire. Munder's death was confirmed on Tuesday by Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming community where he was among around 80 residents who were taken captive.
It said he died "after enduring months of physical and mental torture." Israeli authorities had previously determined that the other five were deceased. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effor.