The Israeli occupation army admitted, yesterday, Tuesday, that its military operations in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, in late August may have prompted the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to kill 6 Israeli prisoners who were being held in a tunnel in the area, as it claimed. This comes according to the results of the investigation conducted by the Israeli army into the incident, which the Prisoners’ Families Committee considered “new evidence” that military pressure causes the death of their families.
The Israeli army said in a statement that on August 15, 2024, the forces of the 162nd Division launched a large-scale operation to defeat the Hamas-affiliated Tal al-Sultan Brigade. During these operations, a central tunnel network was identified in the area with potential captives within it.
On August 27, the army recovered one of the Israeli prisoners alive, but on August 31 the bodies of six other prisoners were found inside another tunnel. The statement said, “The activities of the forces on the ground, although cautious and gradual, had a circumstantial impact on the militants’ decision to kill the six detainees,” according to the Israeli report’s allegations.
According to the results of the autopsies, the estimated date of death of the six prisoners is August 29, that is, during the Israeli forces’ operation in the area.
The results of this investigation contradict the claims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his government officials that military pressure is the best way to recover Israeli prisoners from the Gaza Strip.
Families of prisoners
Commenting on the results of the Israeli military investigation, the Association of Families of Israeli Prisoners said in a statement that it feels “renewed pain” for the detainees’ families, and described the details of the investigation as “shocking and heartbreaking.” The Commission confirmed that “military pressure” was the reason behind the killing of the prisoners, stressing that “the return of the detainees will not be possible except through a political agreement.”
The statement added, “The six detainees remained alive for 328 days in harsh conditions inside Hamas’ tunnels, and they could have been returned alive if the previous negotiations had not faltered.”
The Commission stressed the need for urgent action, “The time has come to reach an agreement that guarantees the return of all detainees from Gaza within a rapid and predetermined time frame. We must not let time decide the issue. This time, it is necessary to act before it is too late.”
Netanyahu continues to call for intensifying military operations as a means to recover prisoners, but he faces increasing criticism from the opposition and families of prisoners who accuse him of obstructing negotiations to maintain the support of his extremist ministers.
Negotiations developments
The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, witnessed a glimmer of hope in reaching an agreement to exchange prisoners and ceasefire, according to Israeli and Palestinian reports.
Netanyahu announced before the Knesset on Monday that “some progress” had been made in the negotiations, and his office indicated – yesterday, Tuesday – the return of Israeli negotiators from Qatar after an “important” round of talks. Netanyahu’s office explained that the team will conduct internal consultations in Israel to determine the next steps in the negotiations.
For its part, the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine movements issued a joint statement on Saturday, in which they confirmed that “progress” had been achieved towards reaching a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.
These events coincide with Israel continuing to wage a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, with American support, which led to the death and injury of more than 153,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, amid tragic humanitarian conditions that include famine and mass destruction in the Strip.
