Warning: The article contains graphic detail, discretion is advised.
All six hostages whose bodies were discovered and recovered from Gaza on Sunday were found with gunshot wounds to their head and other areas, their autopsies showed.
According to the post-mortem, they were executed no more than 48 hours before being found and signs of neglect in captivity were found on their bodies.
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From top left: Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat and Almog Sarusi
(Photo: Courtesy)
Except for one of the hostages, who showed signs of being bound, no evidence of torture was found. However, the condition of their bodies indicated systematic neglect, including a lack of hygiene over a long period. Additionally, indications were present of previous injuries sustained during their abduction, which had been treated over time.
IDF forces discovered the bodies of the six hostages in a tunnel in Rafah, located about a kilometer from the one where hostage Farhan Alkadi was found and rescued. The IDF had no indication of the captives' exact location in recent months but was aware captives were in the sector, which is why the operation in Rafah was slow and methodical since fighting began there.
Troops didn’t encounter the terrorists who murdered the six and escaped. It's possible they were killed in the recent fighting above ground. After being located, the bodies were recovered and brought to the Israeli border, where police and identification teams confirmed their identities at 4 a.m.
The six hostages were abducted from Israel to the northern Gaza Strip and transferred over time to Rafah, where they were executed.