Evidence of bullet wounds was found on the bodies of the hostages who were recovered from the Gaza Strip earlier this week, the IDF confirmed on Thursday.
These are preliminary findings, the army stressed. The captives may have been killed by friendly fire. Alternatively, they may have been shot dead by their captures.
It is not yet possible to determine the circumstances of the hostages’ deaths definitively, the military underlined. The investigation is ongoing, and findings will be presented to families and the public, it said.
The initial findings came from the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir, which performed the autopsies and examined the bodies of the six hostages, the military stated.
According to the IDF report, marks indicating bullets and wounds were found on all six of the bodies. Additionally, four bodies that were found next to the hostages in the Gaza Strip are presumed to be the remains of the terrorists who were holding the six captives. No signs of gunshot wounds were observed upon the examination of these corpses.
The bodies of six men taken captive on October 7, all of whom were killed in captivity, were brought back to Israel for burial. They were Nadav Popplewell, Yagev Buchshtab, Yoram Metzger, Haim Peri, Alexander Dancyg, and Avraham Munder all found in the Khan Yunis area in Gaza.
Family members speak of fears of possible execution of hostages
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum commented on the development, stating, “The presence of bullets in the bodies of the late hostages... is further proof of the cruelty of the terrorists who have been holding onto them for 321 days now.”
“Every minute that the deal is not yet completed, another hostage may meet their death, and after ten months of war in which the hostages suffer and die, it is clear to everyone that the return of all the hostages is possible only through a deal,” it underscored.
Regarding the retrieval of the hostages’ bodies, the Forum said, “The rescue of the six bodies is not an image of victory but one that depicts the country’s leadership’s complete and utter failure, given that six hostages who were supposed to come back alive returned in a coffin instead.”
Yagev Buchshtab’s mother, Esther Buchshtab, said on Thursday that the family members found out that he had been shot dead in captivity, Ynet reported.
Additionally, the same report noted that following the IDF operation that recovered the hostages, it became apparent that the late Yoram Metzger was also shot to death, although it is still unclear by whom.
The National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israel Police, and the IDF Manpower Directorate’s hostage team conducted an identification procedure of the bodies and notified their families and communities.
Gadi Zaig and Yael Halfon contributed to this report.