Israeli Military Report Finds Gaza Captives Executed Amid February Airstrikes
An Israeli military investigation released on Wednesday found that six Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 were likely executed by their captors amid an airstrike on a tunnel in which they were held. However, the probe also concluded that the captives would have died from the airstrike anyw...
Facts
- An Israeli military investigation released on Wednesday found that six Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 were likely executed by their captors amid an airstrike on a tunnel in which they were held. However, the probe also concluded that the captives would have died from the airstrike anyway.[1]
- The Israeli military recovered the hostages' bodies in August, though they were thought to have been killed in February. Their captors died from suffocation or the inhalation of carbon dioxide caused by the strike's destruction of the tunnel. It is unclear if the hostages were executed before, during, or after the strike.[1]
- A family member of one of the slain hostages said that the probe proved that the government's strategy of military pressure was killing hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that military pressure will coax Hamas into making a deal to release the hostages.[2]
- The report comes only two days after Donald Trump, who will assume office in January, said that there will be 'HELL TO PAY in the Middle East' if the hostages are not released by the time he enters office. Israeli Pres. Isaac Herzog welcomed Trump’s comments, though Netanyahu declined to respond.[3]
- Hamas said on Monday that 33 hostages have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Hamas has called for Israel to end the war and withdraw from the strip in exchange for the release of hostages — terms that the Israeli government has not accepted.[4]
- Since the one-week pause in fighting last year that saw dozens of female and child hostages released, negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of all of the remaining hostages in Gaza have repeatedly stalled. The fighting in Gaza has continued unabated.[5][6]
Sources: [1]Timesofisrael (a), [2]Timesofisrael (b), [3]Associated Press, [4]Reuters (a), [5]Al Jazeera and [6]Reuters (b).
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by POLITICO. The US and its allies are confident that after some tough negotiating, a deal between Israel and Hamas can be reached. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, the release of Israeli hostages, and create a better 'day after' in Gaza without Hamas in power. The US will continue to work toward closing the gaps and ensuring that peace and stability can be restored to the region.
- Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. The hostages must be rescued through continued military pressure on Hamas, as the terrorist organization cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. The execution of captives in tunnels and the use of civilian shields demonstrates Hamas' brutality and justifies the military operation to eliminate the existential threat the group poses to Israeli society.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Everyone seems to understand — including many Israelis — that the main obstacle to ending this war is Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the US continues its charade of blaming Hamas for the lack of progress when the group has shown much flexibility in negotiations. These six hostages died because Israel refused to end its genocidal campaign in Gaza. The war could be over tomorrow, yet the US continues to back Netanyahu's intransigence.
