The families of Resh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Uri Danino, Almog Sarusi, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lubinov—who were killed in a tunnel in Rafah by their Hamas captors—received from the IDF the initial findings of the investigation into their captivity and the circumstances of their deaths, as reported this evening (Sunday) by ynet.
As previously known from the findings of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the hostages were killed approximately a day before the IDF reached the tunnel and were found with signs of gunfire. They showed severe signs of neglect, including not having bathed for a long time and, on one hostage, evidence of being bound. There were also indications of previous injuries sustained during the kidnapping, which were treated over time.
According to Channel 12 News, the hostages were kept in a very small and narrow tunnel where they struggled to stand upright, with only two of them able to lie down side by side at any one time. The tunnel had no air vents, making breathing difficult for the hostages. They had no access to toilets or showers and were given water bottles for both bathing and drinking. The hostages had very little food, were starved, and had lost significant weight. Eden Yerushalmi's body was found weighing only 36 kg.
The tunnel also contained some protein snacks, a generator, and a small flashlight that did not always work. Additionally, a chessboard, writing instruments, and notebooks were found by security forces and are expected to be returned to the families. Despite these harsh conditions, the hostages managed to survive in captivity for 330 days before being killed by Hamas militants, who feared an IDF rescue operation.
