Hostage extraction operation in Khan Younis
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
New details have emerged about the IDF operation that led to the recovery of the bodies of six hostages—Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Avraham Munder, Chaim Peri, Yagev Buchshtab and Nadav Popplewell—on Tuesday evening.
Unlike previous operations, this mission lacked precise intelligence on the location of the bodies and did not have the assistance of a captured operative to identify the tunnel entrances. The bodies of several terrorists were found inside the tunnel, with one IDF assessment suggesting they may have died after guarding the hostages underground for an extended period.
5 View gallery
From top left clockwise: Alex Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, Yagev Buchshtab, Avraham Munder and Chaim Peri
(Photo: Courtesy of the families)
The operation, led by the 98th Division and commanded by Colonel Ami Biton, head of the Paratroopers Brigade, involved four teams tasked with searching buildings and locating underground entrances.
Using new detection methods and advanced technology developed by the Engineering Corps, a team from the elite Yahalom Unit identified the specific tunnel, which was located 10 meters (33 feet) underground and connected to three separate underground corridors. Inside, the forces found both the bodies of the hostages and the remains of terrorists, alongside AK-47 rifles.
The IDF believes the terrorists who were found dead had been guarding the hostages' bodies but succumbed to the harsh conditions underground. Yahalom forces also discovered loose concrete reinforcements in the tunnel, near which the hostages' bodies were hidden. The forces neutralized barriers, blast doors and various explosives found within the tunnel.
The tunnel dilemma
The Paratroopers Brigade’s operation began last week with the identification and demolition of tunnels near the border fence in southern Gaza. However, the mission was altered on Friday, redirecting forces toward a location within Khan Younis where information suggested the hostages’ bodies were hidden.
The brigade, led by the Paratroopers' Reconnaissance Battalion, which lost team commander Lieutenant Shahar Ben Nun in a friendly fire incident, and supported by the 75th Armored Battalion and Yahalom units, encountered little resistance, suggesting a weakened Hamas military presence.
"We identified the bodies on-site, even before they were transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine," the IDF said. "Before our arrival in the area, we evacuated the population, and there weren't many terrorists left. Most of them fled, similar to previous operations to locate deceased prisoners of war and missing persons."
IDF officials noted that the 98th Division had previously operated in the area in March, facing dilemmas over whether to destroy tunnels without fully ensuring they did not contain hostages.
"We realized over time that all the tunnels in the Gaza Strip are interconnected in a vast network," military officials said. "You can enter a tunnel near the border fence and exit at the beach. That’s why we made sure to verify this instead of necessarily destroying every underground passage. Our caution is so great that we frequently change attack directions if there is even the slightest suspicion that live hostages might be present in the sector."
In the past months, the IDF has recovered 18 hostages' bodies, mainly from Jabaliya and Khan Younis, across four operations. Avraham Munder was the only one among the recovered hostages whose death had not been confirmed until this operation, as he was previously believed to be alive.
The IDF is still investigating the circumstances of their deaths, whether they were killed by IDF strikes or murdered by their captors. At least some of the hostages are believed to have died as a result of IDF strikes in early January.