Israel announced on Sunday that its troops discovered the bodies of six hostages in a tunnel in Gaza, while a “shooting attack” in the occupied West Bank resulted in the deaths of three Israeli officers, according to Israeli police.
The shooting, which occurred near Hebron, further escalated the ongoing violence in the West Bank. This region, separated from Gaza by Israeli territory, has seen intensified military operations by Israel since Wednesday, raising international concern.
In Gaza, “humanitarian pauses” were scheduled to begin on Sunday, coinciding with a large-scale polio vaccination drive, according to a health official. A military statement confirmed that the remains of the six hostages were recovered on Saturday from an underground tunnel in the Rafah area in southern Gaza and have been formally identified in Israel.
The victims were named as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, US-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Lobanov. They were taken by Palestinian militants during an October 7 attack, including from a music festival.
Military spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that all six hostages were abducted alive on October 7 and were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.” US President Joe Biden expressed devastation and outrage over their deaths and remains hopeful that a Gaza truce and hostage release deal can still be achieved. Biden urged for an end to the ongoing war, with his administration involved in mediation efforts alongside Qatar and Egypt.
These six hostages were among 251 taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, with 97 still held captive in Gaza, including 33 who the Israeli army believes are dead. Some hostages were released during a one-week truce in November, and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called for an urgent deal to return the remaining hostages, criticizing delays in mediation efforts.
A senior Hamas official, speaking anonymously, claimed that “some” of the six captives had been approved for release as part of a potential hostage-prisoner swap deal, which has yet to be finalized. The Hamas official also claimed that the six were “killed by the (Israeli) occupation’s fire and bombing,” a charge denied by the Israeli military. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered, accusing Hamas leaders of killing hostages and obstructing a peace agreement.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack, has resulted in over 1,205 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed at least 40,738 people, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations has stated that most of the deceased are women and children.
Gaza has been devastated by the conflict, with most of its 2.4 million residents displaced multiple times, and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding as essential infrastructure has been destroyed. Amid this backdrop, a vaccination campaign was launched to address a polio outbreak, with the World Health Organization confirming that Israel agreed to a series of three-day humanitarian pauses to facilitate the drive, which aims to vaccinate 640,000 children.
Meanwhile, violence continues to rage in the West Bank. On Sunday, a “shooting attack” near the Tarqumiya checkpoint in the Hebron area resulted in the deaths of three Israeli officers. Israeli forces have launched a search for the assailants. In Jenin, northern West Bank, Israeli bulldozers were seen destroying streets, leaving the area without power or water. Since the start of the raids on Wednesday, 22 Palestinians, including 14 linked to militant groups, have been killed. A 20-year-old Israeli soldier was also reported killed on Saturday.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned Israel for the “dangerous escalation,” urging an end to its “bloody aggression on the occupied West Bank.” The United Nations reports that at least 637 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war began, while 23 Israelis, including soldiers, have died in Palestinian attacks or during military operations during the same period.