Israeli Military Says ‘High Probability’ 3 Hostages Killed in November Airstrike

An investigation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that there is a “high probability” that three hostages held by the Hamas terrorist group were killed in a November 10, 2023 airstrike. The bodies of the hostages were discovered in December 2023. The airstrike also resulted in the death of Ahmed Ghandour, the commander of Hamas’s northern brigade, as well as Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman, and Elia Toledano. This marks the first time the IDF has linked an airstrike to hostage deaths. While the circumstances of their deaths cannot be definitively determined, it is believed that the hostages were taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during a deadly attack on Jews. The IDF’s recovery of the bodies of six hostages on August 31, including an Israeli-American, led to protests in Israel criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure their release. The IDF released a video on September 10 showing the tunnel where the hostages were killed. Currently, there are believed to be 101 hostages, including seven Americans, still held by Hamas in Gaza. Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and secure the release of the remaining hostages are ongoing with the assistance of Qatar as an intermediary.

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