Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from southern Gaza in an overnight operation, the Israeli military said on Tuesday, highlighting the plight of the scores of captives remaining in the Palestinian enclave.
The military named the hostages whose bodies were returned to Israel as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Peri. All but Mr. Munder were already known to have lost their lives in captivity.
They were among about 250 people taken hostage last Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel from Gaza and carried out attacks that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli forces have so far rescued only seven hostages alive. Scores more, mostly women and children, were returned to Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November. More than 100 captives still remain in Gaza, at least 30 of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said that the six bodies had been retrieved from Hamas tunnels beneath the city of Khan Younis in a “complex operation.”
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