Hamas Executes Six Israeli Hostages in Rafah, IDF Returns Remains to Families

Latest Developments

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on September 1 that the bodies of six murdered Israelis were discovered in a tunnel below Rafah. The IDF found the deceased hostages approximately one kilometer away from the location where the IDF rescued Israeli hostage Farhan al-Qadi alive earlier in the week. According to the IDF, the six hostages were executed by Gaza terrorist shortly before the IDF reached them. The slain hostages are Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Israeli citizens Carmel Gat, 40, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Alexander Lubnov, 32, Almog Sarusi, 27, and Ori Danino, 25.

So far, at least nine Israeli hostages have been discovered by the IDF in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town that abuts Gaza’s border with Egypt.

Expert Analysis

“The IDF has largely dismantled Hamas’s military capabilities in Gaza. However, the terror organization refuses to surrender and return the hostages. Every hostage that Israel is able to return deprives Hamas of leverage, weakens Hamas’s hand in the ceasefire negotiations, and brings the war closer to an end.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“Hamas executed one of its American hostages. That requires an American response. Today, Hamas sponsor Iran enjoys massive U.S. sanctions relief. Today, Hamas leaders get immunity in “non-NATO ally” Qatar and NATO ally Turkey. Today, Hamas facilitators Lebanon and Egypt get a lot of taxpayer assistance. Today, DOJ does nothing to crack down on Hamas networks here in the United States. Focus less today on what Israel can’t do, and more on what America can.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

More than 100 Hostages Still Held Captive by Gaza Terrorists

Palestinian terrorists murdered approximately 1,200 people and abducted an additional 251 during Hamas’s brutal assault on Israel on October 7. Since the Hamas attack, IDF rescue operations have brought home 45 hostages, of which only eight have returned alive. An additional 109 living hostages were successfully returned to Israel through negotiations during the first two months of the war.

According to the IDF, Hamas is still holding 101 hostages in Gaza, 97 of which were abducted on October 7 and an additional four Israeli hostages previously abducted by Hamas.

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