WhatsappThe recovery of the bodies of six Israeli hostages (Avraham Munder, Alex Dancyg, Yagev Buchshtav, Chaim Peri, Yoram Metzger and Nadav Popplewell) from the southern Gaza Strip overnight was the fastest such operation carried out by the military so far amid the war, which IDF sources said indicated the army’s ability to quickly establish control of areas it previously withdrew from.
On Sunday, the IDF’s 98th Division expanded its operation in Khan Younis and by early Monday, it had achieved “operational control” over one of the neighborhoods where the bodies of the hostages were believed to be held. The IDF had relatively precise intelligence on the tunnel where the bodies of the hostages were held, although not the exact location.
According to the military, within less than 24 hours, combat engineers located a 10-meter deep tunnel shaft that led to a tunnel system in the area, with one team spotting various indications of where the bodies were being held.
Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, the bodies were found and extracted from the Strip, making it the fastest operation to recover hostages’ bodies so far amid the war. Previous operations to recover the bodies of hostages have taken several days, in comparison.
The operation is key to push back on the narrative that only a ceasefire will return the hostages. The fact is, only increased military pressure will ultimately get the job done.
Hamas had attempted to hide the remains of the hostages, placing them in an underground passage which was hidden behind a false wall inside the tunnel system.
Combat engineers of the elite Yahalom unit and members of the Shin Bet security agency managed to break through the false wall, blast doors, and other blockages inside the tunnel, where in addition to the bodies they also located weapons, explosive devices, and other equipment belonging to Hamas terrorists, according to the military.
The IDF says the recovery mission was carried out following fighting in the area, during which troops scanned buildings and killed several gunmen.
