The Israeli armed forces have confirmed the death of four additional hostages who were illegally detained on October 7th, with a video from Hamas showing three elderly men pleading for freedom. This announcement heightens the stress on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his administration to concur to an American brokered ceasefire deal. This arrangement could potentially facilitate the safe return of hostages still held captive in Gaza and terminate the comprehensive eight-month long conflict. The current estimates suggest there are approximately 80 hostages in Gaza who are still alive, and additionally, Hamas are reported to have the bodies of 43 others.
US President Joe Biden revealed a new ceasefire proposal last Friday. Following this, Israel experienced some of the biggest demonstrations yet, with protestors demanding the government secure the hostages’ return. Despite Biden attributing the proposal to Israel, the Israeli state leaders have seemed to disassociate themselves from the plan, asserting their intent to continue military strikes against Hamas until the group is eradicated.
The four deceased individuals were identified as Haim Perry, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper and Nadav Popplewell. The Hostages Forum, a community association supporting the hostage families, states that all four men were kidnapped and transported into Gaza while alive.
In response to the announcement, the group urged the government to put a stop to this vicious circle of sacrifice and neglect, highlighting that their killing whilst captive was shameful and reflected negatively on the consequences of delaying earlier agreements.
The association further pressed the government to immediately sanction the latest ceasefire proposal. Numerous protests took place across the nation on Monday, with hundreds of protestors, including the hostages’ family members, converging on the Defence Ministry and military headquarters in Tel Aviv to demand a resolution.
In November, a week-long exchange took place leading to the release of around 100 hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners. The families of three of the men declared dead on Monday had female members freed during this exchange.
The Israeli military’s spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, stated that the four hostages were executed while gathered together during the military’s operation in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. He confirmed that the four were killed several months ago, but recent operations had yielded sufficient intelligence to verify their deaths. The men’s bodies are presently retained by Hamas and the precise causes of their deaths remain unclear.
Hamas alleged in May that one of the hostages declared dead had succumbed to injuries from an Israeli airstrike, however, no supporting evidence was provided.
Rear Adm Hagari reported that they are assessing all scenarios, as many inquiries remain unanswered. A video was released by Hamas in December, featuring three of the captives who were each 80 years old or more. Their plea, titled ‘Don’t let us grow old here’, highlighted their delicate situation.
Expressing their distress, one revealed, “We represent the generation that laid the groundwork for the establishment of Israel.” The elderly men also stated their inability to comprehend their abandonment, as each one of them were suffering from chronic diseases.
As per records from Gaza’s Health Ministry, a staggering tally of over 36,000 Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israeli bombings and ground assaults. The Ministry, however, does not segregate the count between militants and civilians.
The city of Rafah, a southern province and past humanitarian aid operations centre, has been under increased attack from Israel. Consequentially, Palestinians almost face a cut-off from critical supply of food, medications and other necessities as famine spreads, due to the relentless invasion of Rafah by Israel. – AP