The army claims to have recovered the bodies of Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk, who were killed at the Nova music festival.
The Israeli military says the bodies of three captives killed during October 7 attacks by Palestinian groups in southern Israel have been found in the Gaza Strip.
Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement Friday that the bodies of Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk were found in an operation led by the army and the country’s internal security service, Shin. Beth.
Hagari said the three men “were murdered by Hamas while fleeing the Nova music festival” on October 7 and that “their bodies were taken to Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the operation and offered his condolences to the families.
“We will return all our hostages, living and deceased,” he said. “I congratulate our courageous forces whose determined action brought sons and daughters back to their own border. »
The announcement came as Israel continues to bombard Gaza, where its military offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians and caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
More than 1,100 people were killed in Hamas attacks on October 7 and 253 were captured. Israeli envoy to the United Nations Gilad Erdan told a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday that 132 captives remained in Gaza.
Last week, Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a video announcing the death of British-Israeli captive Nadav Popplewell. The group said Popplewell died from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike a month ago.
The video was released amid growing domestic pressure on the Israeli government to secure the release of the remaining prisoners.
Thousands of Israelis, including relatives of those still detained in Gaza, have taken to the streets in recent days to demand that Netanyahu do more to free them.
Many also called on Israel to agree to a ceasefire to bring their loved ones home safely.
In Amman, Jordan, on Friday, Tel Aviv Tribune’s Imran Khan said an advocacy group working on behalf of the captives’ families was unlikely to be satisfied with Netanyahu’s statement on the recovery of the bodies of the three captives.
Tel Aviv Tribune broadcasts reports outside Israel because it was banned by the Israeli government.
The Bring Them Home campaign said Netanyahu “hasn’t done enough to try to get people out,” Khan said.
“Expect to see people on the streets in the coming hours. We have already witnessed such spontaneous demonstrations.”
Naama Weinberg, whose cousin Itai Svirsky was kidnapped on October 7 and allegedly killed in captivity, last week urged the Israeli government to take urgent action.
“Soon, even those who managed to survive this long will no longer be among the living. They need to be saved now,” Weinberg said.
“There is no victory and there cannot be victory without the return of the hostages.”
Despite immense pressure, Netanyahu’s government this month rejected a ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas.
In response to the Israeli army’s announcement on Friday, Hamas said it was “skeptical” of Israel’s claims. The Palestinian group added that the only way for the remaining prisoners to return alive was through a truce.
“The resistance believes that the enemy will only obtain its prisoners in the form of lifeless corpses or through an exchange agreement honorable to our people,” he said.
During the war’s only truce, which lasted a week in late November, 110 Israeli and foreign hostages were released in exchange for Israel’s detention of 240 Palestinians.