The IDF has confirmed the recovery of six Israeli hostages' bodies during a covert operation in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
The operation, carried The operation to recover the hostages' bodies was conducted by members of the IDF's 98th Division in collaboration with Shin Bet security agency personnel. Acting on precise intelligence, the forces located and entered a tunnel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, where they retrieved the remains.
This mission was executed as part of a broader, renewed offensive in the southern Gaza region, demonstrating the IDF's continued efforts to locate and recover hostages amid ongoing military operations in the area overnight, utilized precise intelligence to locate and retrieve the remains, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Recovered Hostages:
1. Alex Dancyg, 75
2. Yagev Buchshtab, 35
3. Chaim Peri, 79
4. Yoram Metzger, 80
5. Nadav Popplewell, 51
6. Avraham Munder, 78
Previous Status:
- Dancyg and Buchshtab: Confirmed dead by IDF in late July
- Peri, Metzger, and Popplewell: Declared dead in early June
- Munder: Not previously declared dead, but concerns existed about his well-being
Hostage Statistics:
- Total hostages taken on October 7: 251
- Currently believed to remain in Gaza: 105
- Confirmed dead in Gaza: 34
- Released during November truce: 105
- Released before truce: 4
- Rescued alive by troops: 7
- Bodies recovered (including this operation): 30
The IDF has emphasized its ongoing commitment to recovering all hostages and investigating the circumstances of their captivity and deaths.
