Israel on Tuesday revealed images of a small Gaza tunnel with limited ventilation where the deceased were held captive by the militants, just weeks after Hamas killed six hostages. On August 31, the military discovered the hostage-taken remains of Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Rafah.The tunnel was about 20 meters underground and stretched about 120 meters. It was reached by a shaft buried under a child’s bedroom.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari released a more than three-minute video on X that depicted the terrorist tunnel beneath the city where the six hostages were brutally held before being killed by Hamas. Hagari asserted that the forces were gathering evidence for forensics and that there were between two and six terrorists. “They were in this tunnel, and they were heroes… However, they were in this horrifying tunnel where you could not stand and there was no oxygen to breathe. Hagari pointed to the little tunnel and added, “They lived, but terrorists killed them.
The representative added that they needed to find out who used the numerous items found in the tunnel, which included AK-47 magazines, chargers, Quran books, hair brushes, and clothing.
Hagari continued, “This is their blood,” while displaying the bloodstain. This is Hersh, Eden, Carmel, Ori, Alex, and Almog’s blood.Hostages are still being held. We must use every resource at our disposal to rescue those who are still alive and return them to their families in Gaza’s tunnels, where some of them are living in similar conditions.”
One of the dead captives, Goldberg-Polin, was a Berkeley, California resident. According to reports, he was supposed to be freed as part of a cease-fire plan that was considered in July. Additionally, on October 7, he was attacked with grenades and lost a portion of his left arm.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents spearheaded a well-known international campaign to get his release, according to AP. According to the Hostages Families Forum, a group that advocates for the relatives of hostages, “every day that passes is a danger to their lives, hanging by a thread, at the mercy of terrorists capable of the worst crimes against humanity,” as reported by the AP. Time is running out, the organization said in a statement, and they demanded an immediate agreement to return those who have been abducted.
