The bodies of six Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza on Tuesday had bullet wounds, according to preliminary forensic analysis.
The bodies of Yagav Buchstab, Chaim Perry, Nadav Popwell, Avraham Monder, Alex Danzig and Yoram Metzger were turned over to the Israel Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir for examination. According to the report, marks indicating shooting were found on all six bodies.
Four other bodies found with the hostages in the tunnel beneath Khan Yunis were also taken to Abu Kabir. The four — assumed to be terrorists — did not show any signs of gunshots.
It isn’t clear if gunshots were fatal, but they were all shot while in captivity. The IDF now believes the terrorists killed the hostages when the IDF was operating in the area, for fear that Israel would rescue them alive.
All six hostages were previously confirmed as alive and in good health at various times after October 7, with some even appearing in Hamas hostage propaganda videos.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 105 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.
