Tonight, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, announced that Israeli forces had successfully taken down two of the militants involved in the killing of six Israeli hostages in Gaza.

In a live briefing, Hagari stated, “In Gaza, we continue operating to dismantle Hamas’ military wing. We have not forgotten, even for a moment, the hostages, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home.”
He continued, “This evening, we informed the families of Hersh, Eden, Ori, Alex, Almog, and Carmel, may their memories be a blessing, that we eliminated two terrorists who had held them captive in a tunnel in the Rafah area.
“The day after the hostages were killed, troops from the 162nd Division spotted two terrorists emerging from an underground tunnel shaft in the Tel al-Sultan area. During the confrontation, the soldiers neutralized them. After a thorough investigation of the tunnel and the items found on the terrorists, we uncovered DNA evidence and personal belongings linked to them. The evidence strongly suggests that these terrorists were the same ones responsible for holding the six hostages, whose bodies were found in the tunnel.
“The findings indicate they were present when the murders occurred, and we are currently investigating their direct involvement. Should more information come to light, we will inform the families first and then the public. Our mission remains to locate and bring all those responsible for this brutal crime to justice, and we will not cease until that happens.”
Earlier this month, an initial IDF inquiry shed light on the dire conditions under which the six hostages were confined within Gaza’s tunnel system.
The IDF shared these grim findings with the hostages’ families, revealing the extreme hardship and suffering endured by the hostages before they were ultimately murdered by Hamas.
According to the report, the hostages were killed approximately ten days before the Israeli forces reached the tunnel. Some evidence suggests that a few of the hostages resisted and fought back against their captors.
The captives were forced to survive in a cramped, confined space within the tunnel, barely able to stand. Only two individuals could lie down at any given time due to the narrow width of the tunnel. The lack of ventilation exacerbated their plight, making it difficult to breathe.
Without access to proper sanitation, the hostages had to rely on water bottles for both drinking and rudimentary washing. Starvation and malnutrition were also evident, with reports noting that Eden Yerushalmi’s weight had dropped to 36 kilograms (79 pounds).
Upon investigating, the IDF found a generator, a small flashlight, a chessboard, writing tools, and notebooks. These notebooks were secured by security personnel and will be returned to the victims’ families.
{Matzav.com Israel}