Israel announced on Sunday that its troops had discovered the bodies of six hostages in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. The remains were recovered on Saturday and have since been formally identified in Israel.
Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that all six hostages had been abducted alive and were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.” IDF confirmed that Hamas continues to hold 101 hostages in Gaza including women, children, and the elderly.
Amid rising domestic pressure, Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed to “settle the score” with Hamas, while opposition leaders urged nationwide protests to compel the government to act on securing the release of remaining hostages.
Who were the six hostages?
The six hostages, whose deaths have sent shockwaves through Israel, were identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Lobanov. They were taken from a kibbutz near the Gaza border and a music festival site.
The six individuals were among the 251 Israelis taken hostage during the October 7 attack by Hamas, which ignited the ongoing conflict in the region.

Rising violence in the West Bank

Violence has surged in the West Bank, which is separated from Gaza by Israeli territory. On Sunday, a “shooting attack” near the Tarqumiya checkpoint in the Hebron area resulted in the deaths of three Israeli police officers.
The attack occurred amidst a large-scale military operation that Israel has been conducting in the West Bank since Wednesday, which has sparked international concern.
The operation, described by the Israeli military as “counter-terrorism,” has led to the deaths of at least 22 Palestinians, including 14 linked to militant groups. The United Nations reported that at least 637 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war began.

Netanyahu under fire

Prime Minister Netanyahu, facing mounting criticism at home, has vowed to “settle the score” with Hamas.
Critics accuse him of prolonging the conflict for political gain, but Netanyahu has remained resolute, saying that Israel is “fighting on all fronts against a cruel enemy who wants to murder us all.”
He directly addressed Hamas leaders, warning, “We will hunt you down, we will catch you and we will settle the score.”

Protests and political pressure

The continued violence and the discovery of the six hostages’ bodies have intensified domestic pressure on Netanyahu’s government.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a nationwide strike on Sunday, urging Israelis to join a major protest in Tel Aviv to pressure the government into securing the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Families of hostages too, have called for protests amid growing frustration within Israel as the conflict drags on with no clear resolution in sight.
The head of Israel’s powerful Histadrut trade union ordered a “complete strike” on Monday in support of Gaza hostages and urged a deal to secure their release after the bodies of six captives were recovered.
Biden, Harris react to hostage deaths
US President Joe Biden on said that Israeli forces had recovered the body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, along with five others in Gaza.
“Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes,” Biden vowed.
The President also assured that efforts would continue unabated to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming November election, expressed her condolences to Goldberg-Polin’s family, assuring them that they “are not alone… as they mourn this terrible loss.” Harris denounced Hamas as an “evil terrorist organization” and held them responsible for the deaths of more Americans.