Additional Coverage:
- IDF: Bodies of six hostages retrieved from Gaza (newsbreak.com)
On August 20, the Israeli military successfully recovered the bodies of six Israeli citizens previously held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, as confirmed by authorities on Tuesday. The operation, a coordinated effort between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency, took place in Khan Yunis, a town in southern Gaza.
The six individuals, identified as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry, had been abducted on October 7 during a surprise assault by Hamas, which marked the beginning of a conflict that has lasted nearly 10 months. This tragic event initially resulted in the capture of 251 Israelis, with 115 still reportedly held or believed dead prior to this latest announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed profound sorrow over the loss, extending his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. He emphasized the nation’s commitment to repatriating the remains of the victims for proper burial and continuing efforts to return surviving hostages.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, established in the aftermath of the October 7 attack, stated that recovering the bodies provides the families with essential closure and allows the victims to finally rest in peace.
Authorities credited the operation’s success to accurate intelligence provided by the Israel Securities Authority, alongside other intelligence units and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters.
Among the deceased, four men—Dancyg, Munder, Metzger, and Perry, all in their seventies and eighties—were from Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was directly impacted by the Hamas attack. The remaining two, Popplewell and Buchshtab, hailed from Kibbutz Nirim, located near the operation site in Khan Yunis.
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- IDF: Bodies of six hostages retrieved from Gaza (newsbreak.com)