Israel Finds Remains of Six Hostages in Gaza Tunnel

AFP/APP

Gaza Strip: Israel’s military announced the discovery of six dead hostages in a Gaza tunnel on Sunday. The remains were found on Saturday in the Rafah area and have been identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin (a dual US-Israeli citizen), Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov (a Russian-Israeli), Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino.

US President Joe Biden expressed his devastation and outrage over the deaths. These six hostages were among the 251 taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which has sparked the ongoing conflict. Of the original hostages, 97 are still captive in Gaza, with 33 reportedly dead.

Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the hostages were abducted alive on October 7 and were “brutally murdered” shortly before Israeli forces reached them. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum mourned the loss and called for a ceasefire.

Israel’s military actions since October 7 have heavily impacted Gaza, destroying infrastructure and contributing to a disease outbreak.

Amidst this, a polio vaccination campaign has begun following the first confirmed polio case in Gaza in 25 years.

The World Health Organization reported that Israel has agreed to several three-day “humanitarian pauses” to support the vaccination efforts, which are set to intensify starting Sunday.