- Military personnel from Israel uncover six individuals held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military has allegedly discovered the remains of six abductees in the Gaza Strip. The lifeless corpses were spotted during the night on Tuesday in the urban center of Khan Yunis, situated in the southern coastal area, as per the military's announcement. Notifications have been sent out to the families of the six deceased men, all of whom were previously presumed to be deceased.
Earlier in the day, the agricultural community of Avraham Munder reported the passing of a 79-year-old resident. Alongside his remains, the military returned the bodies of Yagev Buchstab, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Chaim Perry.
Among the recently found bodies includes Alexander Dancyg, who was declared dead back in July. A Polish-Israeli dual citizen, Dancyg worked at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial site in Jerusalem. Former captives claim that the historian taught them history while they were in captivity.
Around 100 hostages are believed to be still in Gaza
In media circles, it is rumored that five of the men were aged between 35 and 80. They were all alive at the time of their kidnapping, according to a liberated hostage. The six men were reportedly kept in a tunnel following their abduction at the hands of Palestinian militants on October 7.
Hamas is currently believed to be holding 109 hostages, with many rumored to have perished.
Pursuit of a truce in Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in the Middle East, working towards arranging a truce in the Gaza conflict and the release of the hostages. For the first time, there's a glimmer of hope. After announcing Israel's acceptance of the latest US-backed ceasefire proposal, Blinken stated during a press conference on Monday. Now, all that remains is for Hamas to agree to the terms.
Blinken traveled to the coastal community of Al-Alamain in Egypt on Tuesday for additional negotiations. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atti was reportedly scheduled for a meeting with Blinken, according to State-owned TV channel Al-Kahira News.
In total, Palestinian extremists kidnapped 253 individuals from Israel and transported them into the coastal region on October 7 the previous year. Some of them were released following a prisoner exchange, while others were freed by the Israeli military - at a heavy price to the Palestinian civilian population, who have faced international criticism due to these military operations.
The six abductees, including Alexander Dancyg, were discovered in the Gaza Strip, where they were allegedly held captive by Palestinian militants. Despite the recent discovery, around 100 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, according to reports.
