IDF investigation into the August rescue: The hostages were executed due to the bombing

December 4, 2024   

The IDF today (Wednesday) presented the findings of the investigation to the six families of the kidnapped people whose bodies were recovered from Khan Yunis, which indicates that the kidnapped people were likely killed in an IDF attack. Do you have angry outbursts? Come receive a personalized response for the ultra-Orthodox public These are the families of the kidnapped Yagev Buchtsev, Nadav Poppelwell, Yoram Metzger, Haim Perry, Avraham Munder and Alex Danzig - whose bodies were rescued in a special operation from Khan Yunis. Although it is impossible to unequivocally determine the circumstances of their deaths, the IDF took responsibility for this, apologized and explained that it did not know that there were any kidnapped people in the tunnel area. It also emerged that gunshot wounds were found on all the bodies - and it is estimated that the terrorists carried out a killing spree on them. According to a report on Channel 12, the IDF explained to the families that due to the uncertainty, there are two scenarios: the first and more likely is that the IDF operations got closer, the terrorists heard, panicked and took the kidnapped people out to be executed - the terrorists themselves died from the bombing. The second scenario is that they died from the bombing, so in any case, even if they were not executed, the bombing would have caused them and the terrorists to suffocate to death. "Given the long time that had passed, it was not possible to make a certain pathological determination of the direct cause of death of the hostages or of the exact time the hostages were shot. In all likelihood, their deaths were caused by the attack near the place where they were being held. According to the most likely scenario, the terrorists shot the hostages near this time. In addition, it is possible that the hostages were shot by other terrorists after their death, and it cannot be ruled out that the hostages were murdered even before the attack in the area," the investigation said. According to the investigation, the IDF operated from the air in the area without knowing that there were hostages there. "At the time of the attack, the IDF had no information, nor did it suspect, that the hostages were in the underground complex in the area that was attacked or in its vicinity. If such information had been available, the attack would not have been carried out." The operation to recover the bodies was carried out in August, after receiving significant intelligence information, under the command of Division 98, by fighters from the Paratrooper Brigade, the Yahalam Unit and Battalion 75, together with Shin Bet fighters. Doron Kadosh, the military correspondent for Galts, wrote about the sequence of events: During the first months of the war, the hostages were held, along with other hostages and probably also alongside senior Hamas officials, in a large tunnel in Khan Yunis known as "The Kingdom." They were held there, according to estimates, until late December-early January, and then transferred to a tunnel in the Hamed neighborhood of Khan Yunis, four kilometers away. The tunnel to which the hostages were transferred is considered a transit tunnel that does not allow for a long stay and is characterized by difficult conditions. On 14/2/2024, the IDF attacked the Hamed neighborhood - and as a result of this attack, the terrorists who were holding the 6 hostages apparently murdered them. Later, the terrorists themselves were killed as a result of the 'secondary effect' of the IDF attack, that is, as a result of the release of toxic gases from the airstrike. On 20/8/2024, in an IDF operation, the bodies of the six hostages were recovered. Gunshot wounds were found on their bodies. The bodies of the 6 terrorists who were holding them were also found next to them, but they were found without gunshot wounds. Monder Lived in Nir Oz for over 50 years, fought and was wounded in the Six-Day War. He was the legendary storekeeper of the Nirlat factory on the kibbutz, and was considered a beloved, hardworking, loyal kibbutz member and a talented singer in the Eshkol choir. He was kidnapped along with his wife Ruthie, his daughter Keren and his only grandson Ohad, 9, who were released in the deal. His son, Roy, was murdered in the massacre. Metzger, 80, who worked at the Nirlat factory and in recent years at the garage, is the father of three sons and grandfather of seven grandchildren. His wife, Tami Metzger, 78, was also kidnapped in Gaza and released as part of the fifth wave of hostage-taking. fruit The 79-year-old is an entrepreneur and peace activist, father of five children and grandfather of 13 grandchildren. His wife, Osnat, is the chairwoman of the kibbutz board of directors who survived the massacre after she said her husband saved her life during the terrorist events of October 7. Poplarville The 51-year-old was kidnapped from his home along with his mother, Hanna Perry, who was released after 49 days in captivity. His older brother, the late Roy, was murdered on October 7th. Buchstaben, 35, was kidnapped along with his wife Rimon from their home in Nirim. Yagev studied street theater and juggling, he was self-taught, knowledgeable and inquisitive, played and built musical instruments, and was a member of several bands. Rimon was released in the November hostage deal, and about a month ago, Kibbutz Nirim announced the murder of Yagev in Hamas captivity. Danzig, 76 years old from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was a historian, educator and farmer. The son of Holocaust survivors who was one of the founders of the delegations to Poland, he worked for about 30 years at Yad Vashem and trained thousands of instructors to teach the Holocaust. Female captives who were with him in captivity testified that Alex spent his time in captivity lecturing on history to the other captives. Alex was a lover of reading, history and a fan of many sports.