Three Hostages Likely Killed in Israeli Military Airstrike in November
An investigation concluded that the hostages were likely killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023.
According to the Israel Defense Forces on September 15, there is a “high probability” that three hostages held by the Hamas terrorist group were killed in a Nov. 10, 2023, airstrike.
The bodies were found in December 2023.
This airstrike also resulted in the death of Hamas’s northern brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, as well as collateral damage including Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman, and Elia Toledano, as reported by the Israeli military.
This marks the first time that the Israel Defense Forces have linked an airstrike to hostage fatalities.
However, the report mentioned that “it is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their deaths.”
These three hostages were taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during an attack that was considered the deadliest against Jews since the Holocaust.
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This recent development follows the recovery of six hostages on August 31 by the IDF, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American; Eden Yerushalmi; Almog Sarusi; Master Sgt. Ori Danino; Carmel Gat; and Alexander Lobanov.
The discovery sparked protests in Israel where demonstrators criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not taking more action to bring the hostages back.
On September 10, the IDF released a video showing the tunnel where the six hostages were killed by Hamas.
“They were here in this tunnel in horrific conditions, where there’s no air to breathe, where you cannot stand,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in the footage.
For the families of the hostages who watched the video, it was “very hard for them to see how their loved ones survived in those conditions,” according to Hagari.
Out of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas almost a year ago, it is believed that 101, including seven Americans, are still in Gaza. The US and other Western nations have been urging Israel and Hamas to reach a deal for a cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages. Qatar, a US ally, has been facilitating negotiations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
