The Israeli army (IDF) on Wednesday revealed details concerning the execution of six hostages in Khan Younes, in the south of the Gaza Strip, shedding new light on this tragedy.
According to information provided by the IDF, the hostages were initially held for several months at the start of the war in a facility in Khan Yunis, equipped with cages and artificial turf, where a large group of hostages was located. At the end of December, they were moved to another tunnel, located approximately 4 kilometers from their initial place of detention, in the Hamad neighborhood. This new detention site, an underground gallery not designed to house people, would become the scene of their tragic end.
In February, the Israeli Air Force carried out a targeted strike against strategic targets, including Hamas commanders. It was during this operation that the hostages were executed by their captors. The Israeli army insists that at the time of the strike it had no information or suspicion regarding the presence of hostages in this underground area.
About six weeks later, based on intelligence received from Southern Command, a complex operation was launched to recover the bodies. Examinations carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine revealed bullet holes on the six bodies, confirming their execution. Six other bodies, without traces of gunfire, were also discovered in the same tunnel. The IDF investigation indicates that the terrorists executed the hostages at the time of the airstrike, before perishing themselves from the side effects of the bombing. Investigators do not exclude, while considering this hypothesis as unlikely, that the hostages could have been shot by other Hamas members who arrived in the tunnel after the strike. The Israeli army emphasizes that until December it had information on the location of these hostages and that it refrained from carrying out strikes or ground operations in areas where it suspected the presence of hostages, so as not to put them in danger. This tragic revelation comes as negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages continue, underscoring the urgency of reaching an agreement to avoid further loss of life.
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