Israeli officials found the bodies of three more hostages, who they say were killed on Oct. 7 and taken into Gaza as part of Hamas’ attack on Israel, bringing the total number of dead hostages found over the last week to seven.
Passersby observe the photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip that are plastered to the walls of a ... [+]
The IDF recovered the bodies of 30-year-old Orion Hernandez Radoux, 42-year-old Hanan Yablonka and 59-year-old Michel Nisenbaum during a special joint operation between the IDF and the Israeli intelligence arm Shin Bet, the IDF announced Friday.
Yablonka and Hernandez were both at the Nova music festival—Hernandez, an Israeli-French citizen was the boyfriend of Shani Louk, another hostage whose body was recovered last week, who became a symbol of Hamas violence when a video of her unconscious in the back of a Hamas truck went viral immediately after the attack.
Nisenbaum, an Israeli-Brazilian citizen, was en route to pick up his 4-year-old granddaughter when he was killed and taken by Hamas, according to IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
The IDF and Shin Bet followed intelligence information into the Jabaliya neighborhood of Gaza, where the bodies were found—the families were notified after the identification was complete.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “immense sadness” over the death of Hernandez, who was a French citizen and emphasized that France “remains more than ever committed to the release of all the hostages.”
Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, killing more than 1,200 people and taking roughly 240 hostages. Hamas militants targeted the Nova music festival among other civilian areas in what is considered the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history. The attack prompted Israel to invade Gaza and begin the now eight-month-long Israel-Hamas War, as negotiations with Hamas over remaining hostages and potential cease-fire agreements have continued on and off with little true progress. The war has also drawn global scrutiny of Israel, which has been accused of killing too many civilians and blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza—claims that Israel has denied.
The United Nations’ International Court of Justice is expected to rule today on whether Israel should cease military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel has been conducting military operations there despite global calls opposing a Rafah incursion due to the presence of more than a million refugees fleeing the fighting in other parts of Gaza. South Africa had brought the case before the International Court of Justice, asking the court to order a halt to Israel’s offensive, and arguments were heard over the past week. The ICJ’s ruling is not enforceable, even as it’s considered legally binding.
- That’s how many hostages are believed to be remaining in Gaza, though not all of them are believed to be alive, according to the Times of Israel. The bodies of 19 hostages have been recovered to date, including three who were killed by Israeli forces by accident, according to the Times of Israel.