Israel’s military says it has established the deaths of four more people abducted by Hamas on 7 October.
It says the four were killed while together during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, adding that their bodies were still being held by the militants.
The men were named as British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said intelligence gathered in recent weeks had led to the assessment.
“We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during our operation there against Hamas,” he said, without giving further details.
Last month, Hamas claimed that Nadav Popplewell had died in an Israeli strike in April. The UK Foreign Office said it was investigating, but there was no confirmation of his death until now.
Hamas released a video showing the other three men in December.
All four hostages were kidnapped from kibbutzes near the Gaza Strip on 7 October.
In a statement via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, relatives said news of the men’s deaths should “lead every leader to profound soul-searching”.
The statement added: “Chaim, Yoram, Amiram, and Nadav were kidnapped alive, some of them were with other hostages who returned in the previous deal – and they should have returned alive to their country and their families.”
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage during Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a week-long truce in November.
About 120 hostages remain unaccounted for. Israeli officials have said many are presumed dead.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s cross-border attack in October.
At least 36,470 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Source link
