Israel announces recovery of Itay Svirsky’s body from Gaza

The Israeli military has announced the recovery of an Israeli hostage’s body, held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, through a collaborative effort with the Shin Bet security service. A statement identified the individual as Itay Svirsky, 38, who had been abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’s assault on Israel on 7 October 2023. The statement asserted that he was “murdered in captivity by his captors”. In January, Hamas stated that Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi, 53, another hostage, had died as a result of Israeli air strikes. Previously, the military reported that an inquiry had determined the most likely cause for the deaths of six other hostages, whose bodies were discovered in a Gaza tunnel in August, was that Hamas shot them “close” to the timing of an Israeli air strike. In the southern Khan Younis area, forces retrieved the remains of Yagev Buchshtab, 35, Alexander Dancyg, 76, Avraham Munder, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, Chaim Peri, 79, and Nadav Popplewell, a 51-year-old British-Israeli dual national. The bodies of six Hamas fighters were also recovered. The military indicated that it was “highly probable” that the hostages’ fatalities were linked to a February strike on an adjacent underground location, which had targeted Hamas commanders. Pathologists observed evidence of gunshot wounds on the hostages’ bodies, whereas no such wounds were detected on the fighters’ bodies, the military further noted. The military stated that, owing to the considerable time elapsed, “it was not possible to determine with complete certainty the precise cause of death of the hostages or the exact timing of the gunfire”. It elaborated: “According to the most plausible scenario, the terrorists shot the hostages close to the time of the strike.” The statement added, “However, it is also possible that the hostages were shot by other terrorists post-mortem; it is even possible that the hostages were killed prior to the strike in the area.” An Israeli military official informed journalists that the military’s assessment was that the six Hamas fighters “were killed from secondary effects of our strike”, such as oxygen deprivation. The military additionally emphasized that it possessed “no information” at the time of the strike indicating the hostages were present in or near the targeted underground site. “Had such information been available, the strike would not have been carried out,” it affirmed, highlighting that the operation had undergone the necessary planning and approval procedures. Hamas offered no immediate comment. Buchshtab, Dancyg, Munder, Metzger, Peri, and Popplewell had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October 2023. Approximately 1,200 individuals were killed by Hamas-led gunmen on that day, with 251 others taken into Gaza as hostages. The US, Egypt, and Qatar have dedicated months to negotiating an agreement for the release of the 96 remaining hostages, 34 of whom are presumed deceased, in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the negotiations have reached a standstill, with both Hamas and Israel attributing blame to the other for the deadlock. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated that the military investigation’s conclusions “serve as yet another proof that the lives of hostages face constant, daily danger”. It issued a warning: “Time is of the essence – many of the hostages are still alive and enduring impossible conditions of abuse, starvation and isolation.” The forum urged the US and other mediating parties to “do everything necessary to achieve a deal for the hostages’ return”. Separately, it welcomed the repatriation of Itay Svirsky’s body for burial in Israel, asserting that it “provides crucial closure for his family”. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared in a Wednesday statement that “pressure on the monstrous organisation known as Hamas is growing”. He added, “There is a chance that this time we will truly be able to advance a hostage deal.” According to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory, over 44,500 individuals have died in Gaza since Israel initiated its military campaign following the 7 October attack. On Wednesday evening, a minimum of 20 people perished in an air strike within the Israeli-designated “humanitarian area” of al-Mawasi, situated west of Khan Younis, as reported by medics and the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency. Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal stated that a tented encampment for displaced families was bombed, and among the fatalities were five children. The Israeli military reported that its aircraft had targeted “senior Hamas terrorists” in that vicinity. Mr Bassal also reported that an additional 10 people were killed when Israeli strikes impacted three residences in Gaza City, located in northern Gaza. Previously, medics indicated that five people died in an Israeli strike on the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Local media outlets reported that four of the deceased were children and that the strike had hit a queue outside a bakery. The Israeli military confirmed it had struck a “terrorist target” in Nuseirat, but provided no further details, as per the Associated Press.