IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari issued a statement this morning following the recovery of the bodies of Hersh Goldberg-Polin (an American citizen), Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarus and Ori Danino, who were murdered by Hamas after nearly eleven months in captivity. Hagari said: “This morning, our hearts are broken along with the families of Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat and Eden Yerushalmi, may their memories be a blessing. A few hours ago, we informed the families that the bodies of their loved ones had been found by IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Rafah. According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.” The six hostages were kidnapped alive on the morning of October 7, 2023 by the terrorist organization Hamas. Their bodies were found during fighting in Rafah in an underground tunnel, about a kilometer from the tunnel from which the IDF rescued Farhan al-Qadi a few days ago. After Farhan was identified, the Israeli military was instructed to act with extreme caution, even more than usual, knowing that there could be other hostages in the area but having no information on the exact location of the hostages. Fighting was ongoing above ground and troops eliminated terrorists during yesterday’s clashes as well while troops are still operating on the ground at the time of writing.
The Hostages Families Forum said in a statement: “With deep sorrow, we announce once again the murder of 6 hostages. These 6 individuals were taken alive, endured the horrors of captivity and were then coldly murdered.”. The forum then spoke about the ceasefire negotiations: “A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. If it were not for the delays, sabotage and excuses, those whose deaths we learned of this morning would probably still be alive. It is time to bring our hostages home: the living for rehabilitation and the fallen and murdered for burial in their homelands.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Sunday morning to the murder of six Israeli hostages by their Hamas captors: “Those who kill hostages do not want a deal. I say to the Hamas terrorists who murdered our hostages and I say to their leaders: Your blood is on your head. We will not stop and we will not be silent. We will pursue you, we will catch you and we will bring you to account. Together with the entire nation, my wife and I share in the families’ deep grief. We are all mourning with them. I wish to express our deep appreciation for our forces, the IDF soldiers and the brave ISA operatives, who risk their lives for the return of our sons and daughters.”
Meanwhile, investigations continue into what happened on the morning of October 7, 2023 and yesterday the Channel 12 News journalist, Omri Maniv, revealed the real numbers behind the October 7, 2023 attack by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel. On October 7, 6,000 (not 3,000) terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory; of these, 3,800 were Hamas Nukhba terrorists and another 2,200 were “civilians” from Gaza, terrorists and looters, who also entered Israel, and 1,000 Hamas terrorists opened fire on Israel from inside Gaza. In total, 7,000 terrorists opened fire on Israel and infiltrated during the morning of October 7. In addition, the border fence between Gaza and Israel was breached at 119 points (not 60). A total of 4,300 rockets were fired on the morning of October 7, 2023. These numbers are based on a thorough investigation conducted by the IDF Gaza Division, which was submitted to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. An IDF spokesperson responded: “The operational investigations have not yet been completed and are ongoing in accordance with the assessment of the situation and in light of operational needs. When they are completed, they will be presented to the public with maximum transparency.”
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