IDF says the bodies of 6 hostages extracted from Gaza have gunshot wounds, suggesting they were murdered in captivity

The bodies of terrorists who were found nearby had no gunshot wounds and likely suffocated inside a terror tunnel

All six bodies of the Israeli male hostages who were recovered from Gaza earlier this week had gunshot wounds, the IDF announced on Thursday. Initial autopsy findings indicated that the hostages were likely shot while in Hamas captivity.

Four additional bodies that were found near the hostages in the same tunnel in Khan Younis are believed to be their captors. Their bodies showed no gunshot wounds.

The investigation suggested that the terrorists were killed from suffocation when IDF troops were active in the area six months ago when a fire broke out inside the tunnel. The terrorists might have thought Israeli forces were on their way to rescue the hostages and decided to shoot them, the IDF stated.

The families of Alex Dancyg (75), Yagev Buchshtab (35), Chaim Peri (79), Yoram Metzger (80), Nadav Popplewell (51) and Avraham Munder (78) were informed about the preliminary conclusion from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. They buried their loved ones in recent days.

On Thursday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the discovery was “further proof of the cruelty of the terrorists who have been holding 109 hostages for 321 days.”

“The recovery of the six bodies is no achievement; it is a testimony of the complete failure to reach a deal in time, as six hostages who were supposed to return alive have returned in coffins,” they said in a statement.

In the past several months, the IDF has recovered 18 bodies of hostages. Of those, Munder was the only hostage who was thought to still be alive.

There are currently 105 hostages held in captivity in Gaza for over 322 days. 34 of them are confirmed dead. In addition, there are four other Israelis – two IDF soldiers who were killed and abducted in 2014, and another two civilians – being held in captivity.

Negotiations to secure a hostage release deal in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza seem to be stalled after talks in Doha, Qatar ended without a breakthrough. U.S. President Joe Biden has reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show more flexibility on a major sticking point.