Israeli military says bodies of three hostages found in Gaza

The military identified the bodies as 22-year-old German Israeli Shani Louk, 28-year-old Amit Buskila and 56-year-old Itzhak Gelerenter.

Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari has claimed that Hamas killed the three individuals as they attempted to flee the Nova music festival, which was occurring when Hamas attacked near the Gaza border.

The bodies were found overnight somewhere in Gaza, but the military did not elaborate or give other details about where they were located.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all of the more than 200 hostages taken that day have are returned. He stressedd all the hostages will be returned, “both the living and the dead”.

Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack. About half of the approximately 250 hostages taken by Hamas that day have since been freed, many in prisoner swaps, but Israel still says 100 hostages are captive in Gaza and 30 more bodies are there.

Israel’s counteroffensive against Hamas has killed upward of 35,000 people, Gaza health officials say. Tel Aviv has stressed it must operate in the southern Gaza city of Rafah because it’s the last Hamas stronghold.

International leaders, like President Joe Biden, have warned Israel that it must evacuate the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians who are taking refuge in the city before it continues its attack.

Israel’s lawyers have told the United Nations top court that Tel Aviv has the right to move ahead with a full-scale offensive on Rafah to defend itself against Palestinian group Hamas after South Africa filed an urgent request to order a ceasefire as part of a wider case accusing Israel of genocide.

South Africa asked the ICJ to order Israel to stop its offensive on Rafah, from where the UN says at least 630,000 displaced civilians have been forced to flee after seeking refuge from bombardment across the besieged enclave.