In recent days, the IDF has delivered reports to the families of the hostages regarding cases in which hostages were killed while in Hamas captivity. Some of this information has also been shared with the public, exposing the brutal nature of the terrorist organization and the need for the IDF to exercise greater caution in areas where hostages are suspected to be held.
The first investigation focused on the six hostages killed in Khan Yunis, whose bodies were returned to Israel a few weeks ago: Alex Danzig, Yoram Metzger, Chaim Perry, Avraham Munder, Chaim Popolov, and Yegav Buchstab, of blessed memory. Their bodies showed numerous bullet wounds, and the IDF suspects they were shot by Hamas militants as IDF forces neared their location. The hostages had been held for a long time in a narrow, cramped tunnel under harsh conditions, without access to bathrooms or showers. The bodies of their captors were found nearby, seemingly killed by IDF fire and bombings.
The second investigation dealt with the six hostages killed in Rafah, whose bodies were returned to Israel about a week and a half ago: Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Uri Danino, Alexander Lubanov, and Almog Sarusi, of blessed memory. Findings suggest that the six were not killed together but rather gradually, with attempts to protect each other (and perhaps even escape or fight back). These hostages were also held in a tunnel under harsh conditions and suffered from malnutrition, as seen in videos Hamas later released. A video with the findings was presented to cabinet members and Knesset members.
The third investigation covered three hostages taken on the morning of October 7 from the Erez crossing. They were the first Israeli hostages taken to Gaza during this war: Ron Sherman, Nick Beiser, and Elia Toledano, of blessed memory. According to IDF findings, the three were held in a tunnel belonging to the Hamas commander of northern Gaza, Ahmad Ghandour, who was killed along with his entourage in a massive IDF strike in early November. The three hostages died in this attack, but the precise circumstances of their deaths (IDF fire, suffocation in the tunnel, or execution by Hamas) could not be determined. Their bodies were returned to Israel in December, and the investigation was only recently made public. Some claim the IDF withheld the findings for an extended period, but the IDF denies this.
