IDF retrieves six bodies of Gaza hostages from Rafah

The bodies of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino were found in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said on Sunday morning.

The IDF retrieved the bodies of the hostages from a tunnel under the city of Rafah in Gaza.

They were likely slaughtered by Hamas shortly before the IDF got to them in Rafah.

The bodies were found only one kilometer from where Kaid Farhan al-Alkadi, age 52, from Rahat, was found last week.

Since Alkadi was found, the IDF put out instructions to be extra careful in the area, but it is possible that Hamas killed the six, knowing that the military was close by and that the hostages might be taken by the IDF alive.

Earlier in the night, prior to the announcement, the IDF had not been able to identify the bodies. 

The rescue of the bodies

Despite rumors on social media of the possible identities of the potential hostage bodies, the IDF had not yet confirmed on Saturday any specifics until the bodies had been returned to Israel and checked by the relevant professional experts.

IDF sources did say that if the bodies were indeed those of hostages, they were not killed by any recent fight with Hamas in the area since the military did not use force nearby.

Soon after the IDF announcement on Sunday morning, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated, "With deep sorrow, we once again announce the murder of six hostages. These six individuals were taken alive, endured the horrors of captivity, and were then coldly murdered."

"A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage, and excuses, those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive. It's time to bring our hostages home - the living for rehabilitation, and the fallen and murdered for burial in their homelands," the statement added.

The forum further called on Netanyahu to bear responsibility in front of the nation after the IDF's recovery of the six bodies.

Details of the hostages

The family of Eden Yerushalmi said in an update to the IDF’s Saturday night statement, "We share with great sorrow that our beloved Eden was murdered in captivity."

The family of Ori Danino shared a post by his brother with a message alongside the words "Baruch Dayan." 

All but one of the recovered hostages were taken from the Nova musical festival on October 7 of last year.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was born in California before moving to Israel when he was 7. On October 7, 2023, he was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival. During his kidnapping, he was maimed by a grenade which blew off his left hand.

Eden Yerushalmi

Eden Yerushalmi, a twenty-four-year-old pilates teacher, was also kidnapped from the Nova music festival.

24-year-old pilates teacher Eden Yerushalmi was abducted from the Nova festival. Initially, Eden hid in a car alongside the bodies of murdered friends. 

Fearful of being caught, she then escaped to a forest where she hid in a bush for hours. All the while, Eden remained in contact with Shani, her sister, who heard the terrorists approaching. “I could hear them through the phone,” Shani recounted. “I knew that those were my last moments with my sister.” Finally, Eden whispered, “They caught me.” 

Carmel Gat

Carmel Gat was taken captive from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Gat led hostages with guided yoga exercises and meditation, former hostages reported.

Almog Sarusi

Almog Sarusi was also taken from the Nova festival. Sarusi’s partner, Shahar Gindi, was murdered there.

Alexander Lobanov

Alexander Lobanov, a 32-year-old Russian-Israeli, was also kidnapped from Nova. Lobanov's wife, Michal, gave birth to her second son in February while he was in captivity.

Ori Danino

Ori Danino, another hostage taken from the music festival, turned 25 in Hamas captivity.

 Ori Danino was captured from the Nova festival alongside friends Omer Shem-Tov, who remains in captivity, and siblings Maya and Itai Regev, who were freed in November's hostage release deal. 

Reponses to the reports

Opposition leader Yair Lapid commented, "While our sons and daughters are abandoned and die in captivity, Netanyahu is busy spinning the narrative." He reiterated his previous opinion that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is more concerned with the continuity of his coalition than the war or the hostages.

"We will continue to stand by the families and hug and protect them in difficult times," he added.

US President Joe Biden acknowledged the news that the IDF had recovered bodies from Gaza but said he did not know their identities on Saturday night.

Biden said, exiting a church in Rehoboth, Delaware, "I'm not sure the exact number. They haven't said the amount yet, and in the meantime, they want to identify the bodies. There is a lot of speculation about who they are, [and their] names."

He added that he thought it was "time to end this war" and that "we are on the verge of having an agreement."

The Valor Forum, which represents bereaved families demanding IDF continues operations until Hamas is defeated, said in a Sunday morning statement, "We received another reminder that we are at war against a cruel enemy that spares no means and that we must not stop for a moment. We must continue with all our might until all our enemies are destroyed."