Bodies of six hostages recovered in Gaza after overnight operation, IDF says

The Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages in an overnight operation in Gaza.

The recovery came as the United States, Egypt and Qatar are trying to mediate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The agreement would bring about the release of scores of hostages held by the militant group.

The Israeli military has identified the six hostages whose bodies were recovered as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry, without saying when or how they died.

Five of the hostages were over 50 years old when they were captured, and three had family members who were released during a week-long ceasefire in November.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and said “our hearts ache for the terrible loss”.

He added in a statement: “The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages – both alive and dead.”

Sky’s Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says the number of remaining hostages being held by Hamas, either dead or alive, is down to 105.

Bunkall adds that 34 of the remaining hostages have been declared dead, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believe the figure could be much higher.

Israeli forces are also attempting to recover the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in Gaza in 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians who entered the Palestinian territory in 2014 and 2015.

The condition of the two civilians being held by Hamas in unknown.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who is making his ninth visit to the region since the start of the war, has called on Hamas to agree to a “bridging” proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza after it gained the backing of Israel.

Speaking after a meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Blinken said the Israeli prime minister had agreed with the proposal – which would lead to a ceasefire and bring about the return of Israeli hostages.

Hamas has accused the United States of embracing Israeli demands and trying to impose them on the militant group.

Mediators have been trying to finalise a proposal for a three-phase process in which Hamas would release all the hostages in return for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting truce. But there still appears to be wide gaps between the two sides.

Gaza school compound targeted in strike

Meanwhile, civil defence authorities in Gaza said at least 10 Palestinians were killed after a school compound where displaced families were sheltering was targeted in an Israeli strike on Tuesday.

Israel’s military has confirmed the attack and said its airforce struck Hamas militants which were operating a “command and control centre” embedded in the “Mustafa Khaft” school compound in Gaza City.

“Numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions,” the IDF said in a statement.

Hamas has previously denied Israeli allegations that it uses schools and hospitals for military purposes.

Read more:
Are Blinken’s Gaza ceasefire talks just for show?
Bomb explodes in Tel Aviv, killing one person

Tens of thousands killed in nearly year-long war

Hamas-led militants burst through Israel’s defences on 7 October and rampaged across the south, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

More than 100 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel during a week-long ceasefire last year.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

Air and ground operations have caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes.