Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday the deaths of four Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Fox News reported.
Authorities have identified the deceased hostages as Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger, Chaim Peri and Nadav Powell, all founders of kibbutz Nir Oz and over 80 years old. The IDF and health experts are still investigating the circumstances of their deaths, according to Fox News.
“The decision to pronounce the four hostages dead was based on intelligence and was confirmed by a Ministry of Health expert committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Religious Services and the Chief Rabbi of Israel,” an IDF spokesperson said, Fox News stated. “The circumstances of their death in Hamas captivity are still under examination by all the relevant professionals.”
Four more hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7 were declared dead by the Israeli military — including three older adults seen in a Hamas video begging to be released. https://t.co/pp4X7QaULL
— ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) June 3, 2024
The news has heightened tensions and intensified demands in Israel for a more robust response to rescue the remaining hostages in Gaza. Reports suggest that approximately 80 hostages are still alive, with the remains of 43 others also located in Gaza. This situation has sparked significant public pressure on the Israeli government, with large protests calling for decisive action to bring the hostages home, Fox News reported. (RELATED: American-Israeli Captive In Gaza Announced Dead, Family Maintains Calls For Immediate Hostage Deal)
The Israeli government, however, has maintained a firm stance on continuing military operations against Hamas until the group’s capabilities are decisively dismantled, the outlet stated. This position appears to be at odds with a U.S.-proposed ceasefire that aims to end the eight-month war and secure the release of all hostages.
A Palestinian man walks next to debris, tagged with graffiti, after an overnight Israeli strike in al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 3, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. (Photo by EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)
Hamas stated in May that Nadav Popplewell, 51-year-old hostage, died from injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike. However, they did not provide any proof to support this claim, according to Fox News. The conflict has taken a severe humanitarian toll, with substantial casualties on both sides. Hamas-run health services in Gaza report that over 36,000 Palestinians, including a mix of combatants and civilians, have been killed.
