The six hostages – photo courtesy of the families
The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) Saturday night located and recovered Saturday night from an underground tunnel in the Rafah region, the bodies of six deceased Israelis who were kidnapped during the seventh of October massacre and murdered by Hamas terrorists in Gaza: Carmel Gat (40), Eden Yerushalmi (24), Hirsch Goldberg-Polin (23), Alexander Lubnov (32), Almog Sarosi (27) and IDF Sergeant Major Ori Danino (25).
After an identification procedure carried out by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate and other agencies confirmed their identities, their families were informed.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari held a press conference in which he explained that their bodies were found during combat in Rafah – located in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border – in an underground tunnel, approximately one kilometer from the tunnel from which the IDF rescued the Arab-Israeli hostage Farhan Alkadi a few days ago.
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Saturday night, IDF forces located and retrieved the bodies of the hostages from the tunnel and brought them to Israeli territory for further identification. After the process, which was conducted by medical officials and the Lahav 443 Unit of the Israel Police (Israel’s version of the FBI), IDF representatives informed the families.
“Since Farhan’s identification, the forces have been instructed to act with extra caution, even more so than usual, understanding that there might be additional hostages in the area,” said Hagari. “We did not have information on the exact location of the hostages. Combat was ongoing above ground, and the troops eliminated terrorists even during the battles there yesterday. The troops are still operating in the field at this time.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog issued a statement on the recovery of the remains of six Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since the October 7 massacre and who were murdered while in captivity.
“The heart of an entire nation is shattered to pieces with the news of the murder of Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lubnov, Almog Sarusi, and Eden Yerushalmi, whose bodies were brought back from Gaza in a military operation,” he said.
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I embrace their families with all my heart, and apologize for failing to bring them home safely,” added Herzog.
“We will continue to fight relentlessly against the criminal, terrorist organization Hamas, which has once again proven there is no end to its willingness to commit murder and crimes against humanity,” pledged the President.
The blood of our brothers cries out to us. Our sisters and brothers are still there enduring Hell. The supreme covenant between the state and its citizens is to ensure their safety. We have the sacred and urgent mission to bring them home.
