It's highly probable that three hostages met their demise during the Israeli military's operation in November.
The captives were three individuals: Corporal Nick Beiser and Sergeant Ron Sherman, both soldiers, and Eliya Toledano, a civilian.
Ending the capture of these individuals by Hamas on October 7 is a significant objective in Israel's actions in Gaza, and the government is facing significant domestic pressure to secure their release.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the families of the three were notified following the conclusion of the investigation, which involved intelligence and operational research, along with considerations for the security of the hostages.
"It is suspected that the three likely perished as a result of an IDF airstrike, during the assassination of the commander of the northern division of Hamas, Ahmed Andor, on November 10, 2023," the IDF stated. "This is a likely scenario based on all available data, but it is impossible to confirm the exact circumstances of their demise with absolute certainty."
The IDF went on to explain that this assessment was made based on the location of their bodies in relation to the attack's impact, as well as intelligence findings and autopsy reports.
"The investigation indicates that the three hostages were being held in the tunnel complex where Andor operated," the IDF said. "At the time of the attack, the IDF had no knowledge of the presence of hostages in the targeted compound, and there was information suggesting their location elsewhere."
Throughout the conflict, the IDF has avoided targeting areas where there is any indication or suspicion of hostage presence.
The bodies of the three hostages were located in the tunnel where Andor was residing on December 14. Later that month, Hamas claimed that the three hostages had been killed by IDF weapons.
A total of 101 hostages are still being held in Gaza, as per the data provided by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Thirty-five of these hostages are believed to have been killed.
Efforts to release the hostages have been ongoing since then, gaining new momentum earlier this month with the discovery of the remains of six hostages in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah, including the Israeli-American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
US officials are making efforts to broker a deal between the two parties, as proposed by US President Joe Biden in May. This three-phase plan pairs the release of hostages with a "full and complete ceasefire."
Since then, negotiations have been stalled, and both sides have highlighted what they consider to be significant loopholes in the framework. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel's forces will never withdraw from the stretch along the Egypt-Gaza border known as the Philadelphi Corridor.
Despite the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages, including the discovery of Hersh Goldberg-Polin's remains, the situation in the Middle East remains volatile. The world is closely watching the situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution and the safe return of all captives.
