The recovered hostages’ bodies are: Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Sgt. First Class Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lubanov, Almog Sarusi, and Carmel Gat. The six were abducted on October 7th and were murdered in recent days by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
According to reports, all six hostages were found with gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of their bodies. It is estimated that they were killed within the last 48 hours. It is important to note that no evidence of torture or prolonged abuse was found on the hostages, a finding that alters previous assessments of their condition in captivity.
The bodies were located 20 meters underground, without prior intelligence. The recovery took place just one kilometer from the tunnel where hostage Farhan Al-Qadi was located and rescued last week, raising questions about Hamas’ extensive tunnel network in the Rafah area.
An IDF spokesperson announced, “Following an identification process conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israel Police, and the Military Rabbinate; the Hostage Recovery Team in the IDF Personnel Directorate, responsible for supporting the families of the hostages, informed the families. The IDF and Shin Bet express their condolences to the families in this difficult time.”
The new findings raise further questions about Hamas’ conduct in recent days and may impact ongoing negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages. Security officials believe that the rapid murder of the hostages may indicate operational pressure on Hamas due to the IDF’s progress in the Rafah area.
Almog Sarusi’s funeral will be held today at 17:00 at the Kfar Nachman Cemetery in Ra’anana. Alexander Lubanov’s funeral will take place today at 18:00 at the Givat Zion Cemetery in Ashkelon.
