Israel-Hamas War: Israel has recovered the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza, according to the military on Tuesday, amid ongoing negotiations to establish a ceasefire and bring over 100 captives from the besieged Palestinian territory. With the return of six bodies, at least 109 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead while the fate of others are unknown.
The military said its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died. Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes. This recovery is believed to be a blow for Hamas as it hopes for an imminent ceasefire to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Abraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Chaim Peri were recovered from tunnels under Khan Younis in southern Gaza after a "complex operation". "We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war - returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas," he said in a statement.
What will be the impact on ceasefire negotiations?
The recovery occurred when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to meet officials in Egypt as he continued a visit to the region aimed at bridging differences between Israel and Hamas over a deal to end the fighting in Gaza and return the hostages. The recovery of the six bodies is likely to increase pressure on Israel's government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and said, “Our hearts ache for the terrible loss... The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages — both alive and dead." He also praised the military and commanders for their "heroism and determined action".
Meanwhile, the Hostages Families Forum, an organisation that represents most hostage families, welcomed the news but renewed its call on the government to conclude a hostage release deal with Hamas. "The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalise the deal currently on the table," it said.
Israel accepted US proposal for ceasefire
On Monday, Blinken said Israel has accepted the US-backed proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, and also called upon Hamas to do the same. He, however, did not say whether it had addressed the concerns raised by the militant group. His remarks came after a two-and-half-hour meeting with Netanyahu.
Hamas has accused the United States of embracing Israeli demands and trying to impose them on the militant group. There still appear to be wide gaps between the two sides, including Israel's demand for lasting control over two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas has rejected. Blinken had earlier said the time is now to conclude a Gaza cease-fire agreement that would return hostages held by Hamas and bring relief to Palestinian suffering after more than 10 months of devastating war in Gaza.
He said there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders,” without offering specifics. Talks in Qatar last week paused without a breakthrough, but the negotiations are expected to resume this week based on the US proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas. However, with the Palestinian Islamist group announcing a resumption of suicide bombing inside Israel after many years, and medics saying Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday, there are few signs of conciliation on the ground.
(with inputs from agencies)
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