Israel Recovers Bodies of Five Captive Individuals in Southern Gaza Strip
The bodies of five hostages were recovered by the Israeli military from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during an ongoing offensive. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that these bodies included a woman killed on Oct. 7 and four soldiers who fell during a surprise attack by Hamas and were taken to Gaza. They were identified as Maya Oren, Sgt. Maj. Ravid Aryeh Katz, Master Sgt. Oren Goldin, Staff Sgt. Tomer Ahimas, and Sgt. Kiril Brodski. The bodies were found underneath what was previously considered a humanitarian area, which the IDF had designated for Gazan civilians to seek shelter and aid away from the battlefield.
The IDF obtained intelligence about their location through interrogation of captured terrorists. They discovered an underground tunnel leading to a shaft with hostages inside. This discovery highlighted Hamas’ exploitation of the humanitarian zone to hold captive Israelis killed and abducted on Oct. 7. The IDF estimates that out of the 115 hostages still held by Hamas, a third of them are dead.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops in Rafah that Israel was close to defeating Hamas militarily, aiming to eliminate them as a military organization and secure the release of the hostages. However, Hamas has persisted longer than anticipated, leading to the Khan Yunis offensive. The terrorist group has been resorting to guerrilla tactics, with smaller, lightly armed groups engaging in hit-and-run operations without central coordination. Israel’s destruction of their communication network and tunnels has hindered their ability to strategize effectively.
On July 24, Hamas launched projectiles from Khan Yunis’ humanitarian area, resulting in casualties among civilians near the UNRWA Al Qarara school. The group’s current aim seems to be survival, tying up Israeli forces, and causing losses without a centralized strategy.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
