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- September 1, 2024
- 12:43 pm
- Israel
In the southern Gaza Strip, in the Rafah area, Israeli troops have found the bodies of six hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants in October 2023. The men, Gersh Greenberg-Polin, Uri Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Carmel Gat and Almog Sarousi, were captured during the attack on the Nova festival and brought to the Gaza Strip alive.
On September 1, 2024, the IDF informed their families of the tragic discovery – bodies were found in a tunnel in Rafah.
IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari noted that the hostages were being held underground, just a kilometer away from a tunnel where another hostage, Farhan Kadi, was previously rescued. He added that the army acted with extreme caution after Farhan was rescued, but unfortunately did not manage to find the others in time. Hagari also said that all six hostages were brutally murdered by Hamas militants 24-48 hours before their bodies were discovered, after the military-political cabinet had decided to continue the operation in the Philadelphia Corridor for six weeks, rather than make a swap deal that would have saved the hostages.
The decision to postpone the exchange has caused divisions within the government. The defense minister, the chief of staff and the head of the Mossad advocated an immediate deal, arguing that rescuing the hostages should be a priority. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected these recommendations, deciding to continue the military operation. The army, according to Hagar, only implements the decisions of the political leadership, and all such decisions are made behind closed doors.
On September 1, 2024, after the hostages' bodies were brought to Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a recorded video message expressing his condolences to the families of the victims. He acknowledged that it had been a difficult day for the entire country and that the nation's hearts were breaking with pain. The prime minister also said that both he and his wife Sara were deeply shocked by the “horrible, cold-blooded murder” of the six hostages.
Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the hostages' deaths, saying “this blood is on your conscience” and that Israel will not rest until all those responsible are brought to justice. He also recalled the unimaginable brutality committed by Hamas on October 7, and said that the fact that terrorists continue to commit atrocities requires Israel to do everything possible to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
The prime minister also blamed Hamas for the collapse of the swap deal, claiming that the terrorists have refused to hold real negotiations since December 2023. According to him, Israel agreed to the deal on May 27 and again on August 16, but Hamas again refused. Despite this, Netanyahu assured that Israel continues to hold intensive talks with the mediators, making every effort to reach an agreement.
However, these statements caused strong discontent among the families of the hostages, who publicly called on the prime minister to stop blaming everyone else and to take responsibility for what is happening. They said that merely stating Hamas's atrocities is not enough, and demanded that the head of government do everything possible to bring the kidnapped people home. The headquarters of the families of the hostages emphasized that they do not expect mercy from Hamas leaders, but have the right to expect that their own government will make every effort to save the hostages.
In response to the prime minister's statements, opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a sharp criticism, accusing Netanyahu and his “death cabinet” of deliberately deciding not to rescue the hostages. Lapid emphasized that the hostages were alive when the government decided to continue the military operation and that there was still a chance to reach a deal, but Netanyahu, in his opinion, was not taking the necessary steps for political reasons. He also called for a general strike and mass protests, arguing that the state of Israel is falling apart and that the situation cannot continue as it is.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz also addressed the nation, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and blaming the government for their deaths. Gantz noted that, unlike the soldiers who are risking their lives to free the hostages, the political leadership is hesitant and slow, which leads to tragic consequences. Gantz called on Israeli citizens to take to the streets to demand the resignation of the government, which, in his opinion, is incapable of protecting its citizens and freeing the hostages.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant also joined the criticism, declaring the need to immediately convene a political-military cabinet to reconsider the decision not to withdraw troops from the “Philadelphia Corridor” in the first, “humanitarian” phase of the deal with Hamas. Galant stressed that although it is too late for the hostages who were murdered in cold blood, everything possible must be done to save the survivors. He also promised that Israel will take account of Hamas leaders and militants for all their crimes.
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