Israeli army finds bodies of 3 hostages in Gaza killed at Oct. 7 music festival

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli navy mentioned Friday its troops in Gaza discovered the our bodies of three Israeli hostages killed by Hamas throughout its Oct. 7 assault, together with German-Israeli Shani Louk.

A photograph of 22-year-old Louk’s twisted physique at the back of a pickup truck ricocheted world wide and delivered to gentle the size of the militants’ assault on communities in southern Israel. The navy recognized the opposite two our bodies as these of a 28-year-old lady, Amit Buskila, and a 56-year-old man, Itzhak Gelerenter.

All three have been killed by Hamas whereas fleeing the Nova music competition, an out of doors dance occasion close to the Gaza border, the place militants killed lots of of individuals, navy spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned at a information convention.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to as the deaths “heartbreaking,” saying, “We are going to return all of our hostages, each the residing and the useless.”

The navy mentioned the our bodies have been discovered in a single day, with out elaborating, and didn’t give rapid particulars on the place they have been positioned. Israel has been working within the Gaza Strip’s southern metropolis of Rafah, the place it says it has intelligence that hostages are being held.

Hamas-led militants killed round 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, and kidnapped round 250 others within the Oct. 7 assault. Round half of these hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel throughout a weeklong cease-fire in November.

Israel says round 100 hostages are nonetheless captive in Gaza, together with the our bodies of round 30 extra. Israel’s struggle in Gaza for the reason that assault has killed greater than 35,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza well being officers.

Netanyahu has vowed to each eradicate Hamas and produce all of the hostages again, however he’s made little progress. He faces stress to resign, and the U.S. has threatened to reduce its assist over the humanitarian scenario in Gaza.

Israelis are divided into two essential camps: those that need the federal government to place the struggle on maintain and free the hostages, and others who assume the hostages are an unlucky worth to pay for eradicating Hamas. On-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the US and Egypt have yielded little.

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