In a significant development reported late last night, the Israeli military, in coordination with the Shin Bet security service, successfully recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation confirmed that the deceased included Avraham Mondar, aged 79, Yagiv Bushstab, Nadav Bobluil, and Yoram Metsger, aged 80.
Amidst ongoing tensions, the Israeli Families of Hostages Association has urgently appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to finalize the proposed hostage exchange deal with mediators before tomorrow.
This recovery follows a recent ceasefire that ended on December 1, during which Hamas released 105 detainees in exchange for several Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Despite this, Hamas still holds 136 individuals kidnapped from southern Israeli settlements since the start of their “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7.
This operation was marked by a massive assault, including thousands of rockets launched from Gaza into Israel and direct attacks on Israeli settlements near the border, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the capture of around 250 others.
The brief truce, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the USA, lasted seven days, allowing for a limited prisoner swap involving women and children and the provision of agreed-upon aid quantities to Gaza.
Since the ceasefire’s end, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resumed.
Since October 7, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in over 40,000 deaths and more than 92,000 injuries, highlighting the severe impact of the conflict on the region.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported a dramatic rise in casualties due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes, with the death toll now reaching 40,139 and over 92,743 injuries since October 7.
Recent attacks have resulted in the deaths of 40 individuals and injuries to 134 more in the past 24 hours.
The situation remains dire on the 318th day of the conflict, with many victims still trapped under rubble and inaccessible to emergency and civil defense teams.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has also announced that 207 of its staff members have been killed since the conflict began.
