Bodies of six Israeli hostages retrieved from Gaza, Israel says

By Dana Karni and Lex Harvey, Aug 20: The bodies of six Israeli hostages have been retrieved from Gaza during an overnight military operation, Israeli authorities said Tuesday.

In a joint announcement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s security agency (ISA) named them as Yoram Metzger, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Nadav Popplewell and Yagev Buchshtab.

All but Munder had been announced dead in recent months by the Israeli military.

“Tonight our forces returned the bodies of six of our hostages who were held by the murderous terrorist organization Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, thanking those involved in the operation for their “bravery and determined action.”

“Our hearts ache for the terrible loss,” he said.

Israeli authorities did not immediately release details of the operation to recover the hostages’ bodies but the joint statement said it was “enabled by precise intelligence from the ISA, IDF intelligence units, and the IDF Intelligence Directorate Hostage Headquarters.”

Munder, 79, Metzger, 80, and Peri, 80, were all residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, where they were captured during Hamas’ October 7 attacks, according to statements from the kibbutz.

Munder was taken along with his wife, daughter and grandson. They were later freed during a temporary truce in November. Munder’s son, Roee, was killed during the attack.

Metzger’s wife Tami was also kidnapped and later released in the November truce.

Popplewell, who was 51 when abducted, and Buchshtab, 35, were taken from Kibbutz Nirim, the kibbutz said in a statement.

In May, Hamas’ military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, claimed Popplewell, a dual British-Israeli citizen, had died more than a month earlier of wounds he sustained after an Israeli airstrike hit the place where he was held. CNN was not able to independently verify the claim by Hamas.

The IDF said in July that Buchshtab was believed to have been held in Khan Younis and died several months ago, while the IDF was operating there. It did not detail the circumstances of the death at the time.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 others kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli authorities.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 92,000 injured during Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the enclave.