© Miriam Alster/FLASH90FILE: People visit at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on April 7, 2024, six months after October 7. The Israeli military recovered the bodies of six captives in Gaza, five are believed to have died in a tunnel after an Israeli strike
The captives, who were taken alive on October 7, were identified as Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger, Alex Dancyg, Nadav Popplewell, and Yagev Buchshtab.
Hamas had previously announced the deaths of five captives, saying that they were killed following Israeli strikes.
The Israeli operation took place in the Khan Yunis area, with the military stating that no fighting occurred during the mission.
Israeli defense officials believe the captives died where their bodies were found. Reports suggest that a fire, caused by an earlier strike, may have emitted carbon dioxide that flooded the tunnel, leading to the deaths of five captives. However, an Israeli autopsy indicates that Yoram Metzger may have been shot.
Comment: Hamas has a relatively reliable track record of taking responsibility for its actions. If it shot the hostage, it would likely say so. Meanwhile Israel's deception knows no limit, and it clearly has a lot to gain from such a lie. Note that the bodies were returned, in one piece, and in a reasonable time for burial; Palestinian victims are not afforded such respect - the absolute opposite, in fact.
The bodies were returned to Israel, and 109 captives remain in captivity.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the circumstances of the deaths are still under investigation, and the findings will be shared with the families and the public once the investigation is complete
Mounting pressure on Netanyahu
Since the 7 October, Israel's government and army have been adamant that the best method to free the Israelis taken captive by Palestinian fighters is intense military pressure.
Around 240 people were taken to Gaza during the raids on southern Israeli communities. An exchange deal with Hamas saw 100 of those freed in November.
But despite a number of high-profile Israeli raids to free the captives, many of them have died many as a result of Israeli bombing, with every confirmed death piling pressure from their relatives on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ratcheting up calls for an immediate ceasefire deal.
About 56 captives have been confirmed dead in ten months of war. Israel claims the majority were killed by their captors.
Yet many appear to have been killed by Israel's relentless assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians so far.
Comment: With Israel's Hannibal Directive which permits the killing of hostages, and has evidently been in effect since October 7, it indeed seems most likely: Leaked doc reveals Israeli military KNEW of Hamas plan to raid and take hostages 2 weeks before Oct 7, Israeli news reports