10 months ago
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JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli subject said Tuesday that it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken successful Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught that started the warfare successful Gaza, arsenic U.S. and Arab mediators tried to beforehand an statement to halt the warring and merchandise scores of different militant-held captives.
The subject said its forces recovered the bodies successful an overnight cognition successful confederate Gaza, without saying erstwhile oregon however the six died. A forum for hostage families said they were kidnapped alive. Hamas says immoderate captives person been killed and wounded successful Israeli airstrikes.
The betterment is simply a stroke to Hamas, which hopes to speech hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire. But it was besides apt to summation unit connected Israel's authorities to scope a woody to merchandise dozens of hostages who are inactive believed to beryllium alive.
The subject said it had identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell and Buchshtav had household members who were besides abducted but freed during a November cease-fire.
Munder's decease was confirmed connected Tuesday by Kibbutz Nir Oz, the farming assemblage wherever helium was among astir 80 residents who were taken captive. It said helium died “after enduring months of carnal and intelligence torture.” Israeli authorities had antecedently determined that the different 5 were deceased.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the betterment effort and said “our hearts ache for the unspeakable loss.”
“The State of Israel volition proceed to marque each effort to instrumentality each of our hostages — some live and dead,” helium said successful a statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant besides praised the operation, which helium said had been carried retired wrong Hamas' immense passageway network. There were nary contiguous reports of immoderate casualties among Israelis oregon Palestinians successful the betterment operation.
Hamas is inactive believed to beryllium holding astir 110 hostages captured successful the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli authorities estimation astir a 3rd of them are dead.
Blinken, who is connected his ninth sojourn to the portion since the commencement of the war, said Monday that Netanyahu has accepted a connection to span gaps successful the cease-fire talks, which person dragged connected for months, and called connected Hamas to bash the same.
Hamas has accused the United States of embracing Israeli demands and trying to enforce them connected the militant group. There inactive look to beryllium wide gaps betwixt the 2 sides, including Israel’s request for lasting power implicit 2 strategical corridors successful Gaza, which Hamas has rejected.
Hamas-led militants burst done Israel's defenses connected Oct. 7 and rampaged crossed the south, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking astir 250 radical hostage. Over 100 hostages were released successful speech for Palestinians imprisoned successful Israel during a weeklong cease-fire past year.
Israel's retaliatory violative has killed implicit 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not accidental however galore were militants. Air and crushed operations person caused wide demolition and forced the immense bulk of Gaza's 2.3 cardinal residents to fly their homes, often aggregate times. Aid groups fearfulness the outbreak of diseases similar polio.
An Israeli airstrike successful cardinal Gaza aboriginal Tuesday killed 5 children and their mother, according to the adjacent Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, wherever an Associated Press newsman counted the bodies. The infirmary said the father, Alaa Abu Zeid, a schoolteacher, has been successful Israeli detention for the past 9 months.
The mediators person been trying to finalize a connection for a three-phase process successful which Hamas would merchandise each the hostages successful instrumentality for the merchandise of much Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from the territory and a lasting truce.
Blinken traveled to Egypt connected Tuesday and was besides expected to clasp talks successful Qatar.
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Associated Press reporters Wafaa Shurafa successful Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Samy Magdy successful Cairo and Matthew Lee successful el-Alamein, Egypt contributed.
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Follow AP’s warfare sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
