Hamas, in a statement, blamed Israel for the deaths of the captives, citing Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza and accused the US of supporting the aggression
An Israeli army investigation has confirmed that its military operations in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in late August led to the killing of six Israeli captives.
A summary of the probe issued on Tuesday, said the army’s “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence” on the decision by Palestinian fighters to kill the captives.
The army’s Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, concluded the investigation and presented it to the captives’ families.
Bodies of Six Captives Recovered – Three Included in July Agreement Rejected by Netanyahu
It said that “on August 15th, 2024, troops of the 162nd Division launched an operation to defeat Hamas’s al-Tel Sultan Battalion, following approximately three months of operational activity in Rafah.”
Occupation forces “engaged in intense combat” with Hamas fighters inside the Tal al-Sultan area, “during which they located a central underground tunnel system.”
The army then “integrated special forces, various intelligence units, precise underground operational capabilities, and the use of specialized equipment and technology, including for the potential location of hostages in the area.”
‘Low Likelihood’ of Captives Present
It was then assessed that “the likelihood” of captives being present in the area “was medium to low.”
“However, the troops were instructed to operate under the assumption that hostages were in the area and to act with the necessary caution. They conducted ongoing situational assessments on the matter in coordination with relevant professional officials,” the report said.
In response to the IDF investigation presented to the Goldberg-Polin, Gat, Danino, Yerushalmi, Lobanov, and Sarusi families, the Hostages Families Forum has issued the following statement:
We share in the renewed pain of the families who were presented with the details of this… pic.twitter.com/bx22pxHL61
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) December 24, 2024
On August 27, the captive Qaid Farhan Alkadi was “found alone” and “rescued from an underground compound.” On the afternoon of August 31, occupation forces located six captives “no longer alive” in an underground tunnel.
Hamas, in a statement, blamed Israel for the deaths of the captives, citing Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza and accused the US of supporting the aggression.
According to an anonymous Israeli official cited by the Israeli news website Ynet, three of the captives whose bodies were listed to be retrieved as part of the ceasefire agreement of July 2.
Collapse of Negotiations
In response to the investigation’s findings, a group representing families of captives said it was clear that a deal was key to the release of the remaining captives.
“The investigation published tonight proves once again that the return of all hostages will only be possible through a deal,” the Hostages Families Forum said, according to the Bring Them Home Now X page.
‘Closer than Ever’ – Palestinian Groups Discuss Ceasefire Agreement
The Committee said that the six captives “should have returned home alive.”
Israel estimates that there are 101 Israeli captives held in Gaza, while Hamas says that 33 captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes in the besieged enclave, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Ongoing Genocide
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,338 Palestinians have been killed, and 107,764 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
LIVE BLOG: Israel Bombs Tents, Kamal Adwan | Yemeni Missile Hits Israel – Day 446
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Millions Displaced
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
