Israeli forces recover bodies of six hostages as ceasefire talks continue

Israel’s military said on Tuesday it recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in an overnight operation.

The bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry were recovered from the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza. They were kidnapped alive on Oct. 7, during Hamas’s terrorist attack that sparked the war, according to the Bring Them Home Now campaign.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the forces went into Hamas’s vast underground tunnel infrastructure to recover the bodies. The Israel Defense Forces noted that the soldiers of the Yahalom Unit and Israeli Security Agency “located a tunnel shaft about 10 meters deep leading to an underground tunnel route where the bodies of the hostages were found,” and they “neutralized the obstructions, blast doors, weapons, explosives and hideouts used by the terrorists.”

“Our hearts grieve over the terrible loss. My wife Sara and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families. I would like to thank the brave IDF and ISA fighters and commanders for their heroism and determined action,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages — the living and the deceased.”

The recovery of the hostages comes as Israel and Hamas are engaged in continued talks to end the war that Hamas ignited when it overwhelmed the Israeli border fence, traveled through nearby communities, killed roughly 1,200 people, and kidnapped about 250 others. Roughly 100 people were freed during a weeklong ceasefire in November — including family members of Metzger, Munder, Popplewell, and Buchshtab. There are 109 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, 36 of whom are believed to be dead, CNN reported, citing data from the Israeli Government Press Office.

The ceasefire proposal has three phases. The first phase would include the cessation of fighting, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from population centers, a surge of humanitarian aid into the strip, and the release of Palestinians held in Israeli detention in exchange for the release of the hostages, though not all of them would be released in the first phase. The second phase would include the withdrawal of all of Israel’s forces and the release of the remaining hostages. The third phase would include the return of the bodies of any deceased hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza.

After about 10 months of war, Israeli forces have decimated the Gaza Strip and Hamas’s ranks. The death toll, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, in the war has eclipsed 40,000 people, though that number doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israeli officials said this week that roughly 17,000 Hamas fighters have been killed.

Hamas has claimed over the course of the war that some of the hostages were harmed or killed in Israeli strikes, though it has not provided proof of those claims. The group is hoping to agree to give up the remaining hostages to end the war permanently, though Israel has maintained its goals of removing Hamas from power in Gaza and limiting the threat environment in the strip.

The U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian governments are acting as mediators between Israel and Hamas. Leaders from the intermediaries met with Israeli and Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar, late last week on a possible deal.

“This is kind of the final stage, end game of the process,” a senior Biden administration official said on Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel, meeting with leaders to finalize the ceasefire deal.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it. It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same,” he said on Monday. “But the next important step is for Hamas to say yes and then, in the coming days, for all of the expert negotiators to get together to work on clear understandings on implementing the agreement.”

Netanyahu appeared less than optimistic about the possibility of a deal, according to the families of hostages who met with him on Tuesday, the Times of Israel reported.

Hamas, on Sunday, rejected the proposal laid out by the United States, but negotiators remain committed to continuing these efforts.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is viewed as a possible off-ramp to further escalation in the region. Both Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to avenge separate Israeli operations, though they have refrained from doing so.

Iran has vowed to attack Israel for the assassination of Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran. Israel has not publicly taken credit for the assassination. Hours earlier, Israel carried out an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, Fuad Shukr, whom Israel said was responsible for a strike days earlier that killed a dozen teenagers.

If the deal falls apart, Iran could attack Israel, and the U.S. has said it is prepared to help Israel defend itself.