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Captives’ families, kibbutz demand return deal
Following reports that the Israeli army recovered the bodies of six captives taken by Hamas and other groups in the Gaza Strip, the two groups released statements pressuring the Netanyahu government to make a deal to secure the release of the remaining captives.
Nir Oz, an Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza Strip which was attacked by Hamas on October 7, says that the body of one of its community was retrieved by the Israeli army, and that this is “is the greatest proof of all the importance of a deal that will return our sons and daughters as soon as possible before it is too late”.
A group representing captives’ families also called for the Israeli government to strike a deal with Hamas, saying, “The Israeli government, with the help of the mediators, must today approve the deal that is currently on the table – and allow rehabilitation for the living abductees, a dignified burial for all the victims and the murdered abductees and restore hope to the State of Israel.”
The latest round of negotiations for a deal that would see the release of captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners is continuing.
Captives’ ‘time is running out’, warns Israel’s former military chief
Gadi Eisenkot has responded to the news of six captives’ bodies being recovered from Gaza, stating that it underscores the urgent need for Israel to secure a deal and bring the remaining captives home.
“This is a reminder to the prime minister – in Gaza there are another 109 abductees, their time is running out,” Eisenkot, Israel’s former military chief, told local newspaper Maariv. “They are dying in captivity, and he [the prime minister] must act as soon as possible to return them.
“Otherwise, there will be no one to return”.
Israeli politicians react to recovery of captives’ bodies
Israeli political leaders have been reacting to the news that the bodies of six people taken captive by Hamas were recovered by the army in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Here are some of their comments:
- PM Netanyahu: “The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our abductees – both alive and dead.”
- Opposition leader Lapid: “The days pass and we lose more and more hostages. We have to make a deal. must now.”
- Defence Minister Gallant: “I participate in the mourning and the heavy sorrow of the families and embrace them to my heart.”
- National Security Minister Ben-Gvir: “The living abductees and those who are not, should be returned only by heavy military pressure, the cessation of fuel and humanitarian aid to terrorism.”
How many captives remain in Gaza?
As we reported earlier, Israel’s military has announced the recent recovery of the bodies of six Israeli captives from Gaza. With this discovery, how many captives remain in Gaza, and how many are believed to be alive?
According to a tally from AFP news agency, there are more than 100 captives – out of 251 originally taken on October 7 – still in Gaza. Seventy-one of the remaining captives are believed to be alive.
Of the 71 who may still be alive, 64 are Israelis (some of whom have more than one nationality), six are Thai nationals and one is a Nepalese national, said AFP. They comprise 57 men, 12 women and two children. Eleven are military personnel, the agency added.
Lapid demands Gaza truce, deal on captives ‘before they all die’
The Israeli opposition leader has renewed his call for an agreement for a Gaza truce and the release of captives in the enclave. “Enough with the briefings, enough with the tweets, enough with the rhymes in front of cameras,” he wrote on X.
“All of Netanyahu’s attempts to sabotage the negotiations should stop. Deal now, before they all die,” Lapid added.
‘Abandonment’ of captives ‘is on the hands of the Israeli government’
Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of captive Abraham Munder, one of the six whose bodies were retrieved by Israeli forces, says authorities had “torpedoed” opportunities to sign a ceasefire and bring the captives back alive.
“My uncle was a war hero who lived his whole life building the country. Hamas took him, but the continuous abandonment is on the hands of the Israeli government,” he told Reuters.
“I will not stop fighting for them to get [back] the people that are still alive. Otherwise, there is no future for the state of Israel. No one will want to live in a state that does not take care of its citizens, that betrays them and abandons them.”
Israeli media says captives killed by Israeli military attack
An initial assessment of the deaths of six captives, whose bodies were retrieved from Gaza by Israeli forces on Tuesday, suggests that they died of suffocation caused by a gas leak in a tunnel during an Israeli army attack, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to the report, the captives, who were taken from Khan Younis, appear to have died of suffocation in the tunnel where they were being held. Their deaths are attributed to the result of an Israeli military attack.
The report claimed that the incident occurred about six months ago during an Israeli military attack in Khan Younis by the 98th Division. Evidence collected from the scene supported this preliminary assessment, which is still being investigated, the newspaper report said.
