Gaza war: All 6 hostages found killed were shot from close range, says Israel
File photo.
The Israeli health ministry said on Sunday (Sept 1) that the six Israeli hostages who were found killed in a Gaza Strip tunnel were shot from close range shortly before their bodies were recovered.
In a statement, Health Ministry spokespersonShira Solomon said, "The six hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists with several close-range gunshots."
"According to the forensic examination, the hostages' deaths are estimated to have occurred approximately 48-72 hours before their examination (between Thursday and early Friday morning)," Solomon added.
Who were the six hostages?
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military announced that the six hostages wereCarmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino, andHersh Goldberg-Polin.
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Hersh was an Israeli-American and his dual citizenship was confirmed by the Joe Biden administration.
The hostages whose bodies were recovered were among the 250 captured during the Hamas-led shock incursion into southern Israel on October7, 2023, that sparked Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza.
Their deaths leave 101 Israeli and foreign captives still in Gaza, but around a third of these are known to have died, with the fate of others unknown.
Massive protests held in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
On Sunday, thousands of Israelis joined protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as pressure mounted on Netanyahu to do more to bring the remaininghostageshome from Gaza, the news agency Reuters reported.
Also watch |Mass protests against Netanyahu as bodies of hostages have been recovered
Labour union announces strike
The head of Israel's trades union federation, Arnon Bar-David, called for a general strike on Monday to pressure the government into signing a truce deal.
The Hostage Families Forum, meanwhile,called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take responsibility and explain what was holding up an agreement.
"They were all murdered in the last few days, after surviving almost 11 months of abuse, torture, and starvation in Hamas captivity. The delay in signing the deal has led to their deaths and those of many otherhostages," the forum said.
(With inputs from agencies)