6 Israeli Hostages Found Dead In Gaza

(Scypre.com) – Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Sunday night, expressing their grief and anger after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza. The protesters, chanting “Now! Now!” demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas to secure the release of the remaining hostages. This mass demonstration is being described as the largest since the war began 11 months ago, with many feeling it could mark a turning point in the conflict.

The protest was further bolstered by Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, which announced a general strike for Monday. This is the first such strike since the October 7 Hamas attack that ignited the war. The strike aims to shut down or significantly disrupt key sectors of the Israeli economy, including banking, healthcare, and the country’s main airport.

Negotiations for a cease-fire have been ongoing for months, but many Israelis blame Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal, despite polls showing that the majority support it. However, the Prime Minister also has significant backing for his “total victory” strategy against Hamas, even if it means delaying a deal for the hostages.

On Sunday night, thousands of people gathered outside Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, some of them in tears. In Tel Aviv, relatives of the hostages marched with coffins, symbolizing the lives lost. “We really think that the government is making these decisions for its own conservation and not for the lives of the hostages, and we need to tell them, ‘Stop!’” said Shlomit Hacohen, a Tel Aviv resident.

Three of the six hostages found dead, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, were reportedly scheduled to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed in July. Their deaths have intensified the outrage among the protesters. “Nothing is worse than knowing that they could have been saved,” said Dana Loutaly, expressing the frustration shared by many.

The Israeli military reported that all six hostages were killed shortly before Israeli forces arrived. Netanyahu, in a statement, blamed Hamas for the stalled negotiations, stating, “Whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal.”

Goldberg-Polin, originally from Berkeley, California, had lost part of his left arm to a grenade during the initial attack. In April, Hamas released a video showing him alive, which sparked widespread protests in Israel. The other victims included Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; Alexander Lobanov, 33; and Carmel Gat, 40.

Autopsies conducted by the Israeli Health Ministry revealed that the hostages were shot at close range, dying on Thursday or Friday. The bodies were recovered from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, about a kilometer from where another hostage was rescued alive last week. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, stated that the bodies were found several dozen meters underground amid ongoing combat, although there was no firefight in the tunnel itself. He affirmed that Hamas was responsible for the killings.

Hamas has offered to release the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants. A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, claimed that the hostages would still be alive if Israel had accepted a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal that Hamas agreed to in July.

As funerals began for the victims, anger continued to grow. Sarusi’s body was draped in an Israeli flag. “You were abandoned on and on, daily, hour after hour, 331 days,” his mother, Nira, lamented. “You and so many beautiful and pure souls.”

Divisions in Israel and Netanyahu’s Government

Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed. However, top security officials argue that the pressure on Hamas has created favorable conditions for a cease-fire deal. The Israeli army, acknowledging the difficulty of rescue operations, has stated that a deal is the only viable option to safely bring home large numbers of hostages.

Critics accuse Netanyahu of prioritizing his personal interests over the lives of the hostages. The end of the war could lead to an investigation into his government’s failures during the October 7 attacks, potentially resulting in the government’s collapse and early elections. Some analysts believe that the public outcry over the six hostages’ deaths could significantly increase political pressure on Netanyahu. “I think this is an earthquake. This isn’t just one more step in the war,” said Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow in the International Security Program at Chatham House.

There are also divisions within Netanyahu’s government. Senior military and security officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have warned that time is running out. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu had a heated argument with Gallant during a security Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Gallant accused Netanyahu of prioritizing control of a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border over the lives of the hostages.

An Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the report, adding that three of the hostages — Goldberg-Polin, Yerushalmi, and

Gat — were supposed to be released in the first phase of a cease-fire proposal discussed in July. “In the name of the state of Israel, I hold their families close to my heart and ask forgiveness,” Gallant said on Sunday. The Israeli Cabinet was meeting that night, likely discussing the growing tensions and public pressure.

A forum representing the families of hostages has called for a “complete halt of the country” to push for a cease-fire and the release of all remaining captives. Despite the massive public outcry, Netanyahu’s government, supported by a parliamentary majority, remains intact. However, Netanyahu has previously shown vulnerability to public pressure, as seen last year when a general strike led to the delay of his controversial judicial overhaul.

Goldberg-Polin’s Family and the International Campaign

Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, both U.S.-born immigrants to Israel, have become the most prominent relatives of the hostages on the international stage. They have met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis and even addressed the Democratic National Convention on August 21, where their plea for their son’s release was met with sustained applause and chants of “bring him home.”

President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage after the news of the hostages’ deaths. The White House confirmed that Biden had spoken with Goldberg-Polin’s parents to offer his condolences.

Since the October 7 attack, approximately 250 hostages have been taken, with 101 believed to still be in captivity, including 35 who are presumed dead. More than 100 hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Eight hostages have been rescued by Israeli forces, but tragically, three Israelis were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops after escaping captivity in December.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during the October 7 attack on southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza have resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials, though they have not specified how many of the dead were militants. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on a road in southern Gaza, killing four Palestinians, as confirmed by officials from Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and an AP journalist who counted the bodies.

The war has displaced the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, often multiple times, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.