The IDF on Tuesday released its final probe regarding Hamas’s killing and the IDF’s finding of six hostages on August 31 in a tunnel at Tel Sultan in Rafah in southern Gaza.
According to the IDF, its military actions in Tel Sultan were not deficient, though the military has also concluded that those actions did likely lead the Hamas terrorists guarding the hostages to execute them.
The six hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino – who had been held by Hamas since October 7, were likely slaughtered by Hamas shortly before the IDF got to them.
The bodies were discovered only one kilometer from where Bedouin hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi was found four days earlier.
All of these hostage events came after the military set up a command center in Tel Sultan on August 15 to finish off the remainder of Hamas’s forces in the area.
Unsure on Sinwar’s orders
Since Alkadi, 52, had been found, the IDF put out instructions to be extra careful in the area. It is possible that Hamas killed the six, knowing that the military was close by and that the hostages might be taken by the IDF alive.
The military is still unsure whether then-Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar gave the order to kill the hostages, though it said he had been nearby.
On September 12, The Jerusalem Post visited the tunnel shaft in Tel Sultan, where the six bodies were found.
At different points, the IDF has said the six were killed on August 28 and, at times, on August 29.
The shaft, which was in a children’s area, still showed pictures of Mickey Mouse, Snow White, and the word “LOVE” in English prominently displayed on one of the partially broken walls next to it.
Multiple buildings around the area were still standing, though many had been damaged by the IDF’s need to remove items that would have obstructed exhuming the bodies.
The area was extremely well-hidden, off from the main road.
IDF sources said that although the military had believed there might be hostages in the general area, at the time in late August when they were maneuvering in the area, the chances of hostages being there had dropped significantly.
The reason was that IDF intelligence had indications that most of the hostages and senior Hamas officials had already fled the area when large amounts of civilians did.
In that light, though the IDF was being more careful with its operations, including by using special forces, so as not to endanger hostages, the going assumption was that the hostages who had been in Rafah and Tel Sultan were already moved.
The true reason that the tunnel shaft was found where the six hostages’ bodies were was that the IDF suspected Hamas terrorists had a tunnel hideout there nearby – but one not related to hostages per se.
A “buggy” vehicle for searching for tunnels was moving through the area and sank somewhat in its movements in the area above where the tunnel shaft was, signaling that something unusual was below.
The IDF then dug through the cement used by the terrorists to cover up the area and found the shaft.
With significant difficulty, a drone was sent into the tunnel shaft to explore, but it did not reveal very much.
Eventually, the IDF saw food items and bags containing bodily excretions, leading it to believe the shaft might be more important than originally thought.
Next, the military found three dead bodies inside.
A further search found another three bodies inside, including women, who would be unusual to find in tunnels.
The IDF has said probably two terrorists who it later killed carried out the executions, which could correspond with the two somewhat separate sets of three dead bodies.
Soon after the IDF announcement on September 1, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated, “With deep sorrow, we once again announce the murder of six hostages. These six individuals were taken alive, endured the horrors of captivity, and were then coldly murdered.
“A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months. Were it not for the delays, sabotage, and excuses, those whose deaths we learned about this morning would likely still be alive. It’s time to bring our hostages home – the living for rehabilitation, and the fallen and murdered for burial in their homelands,” it added.
Bibi bears responsibility
The forum further called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bear responsibility in front of the nation after the IDF’s recovery of the six bodies.
All but one of the recovered hostages were taken from the Nova musical festival on October 7 of last year.
The family of Eden Yerushalmi said in an update to the IDF’s official announcement, “We share with great sorrow that our beloved Eden was murdered in captivity.”
Eden Yerushalmi, a 24-year-old pilates teacher, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival. Initially, Eden hid in a car alongside the bodies of murdered friends.
Fearful of being caught, she then escaped to a forest where she hid in a bush for hours. All the while, Eden remained in contact with Shani, her sister, who heard the terrorists approaching. “I could hear them through the phone,” Shani recounted. “I knew that those were my last moments with my sister.” Finally, Eden whispered, “They caught me.”
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was born in California before moving to Israel when he was 7. On October 7, 2023, he was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival. During his kidnapping, he was maimed by a grenade which blew off his left hand.
Carmel Gat was taken captive from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Gat led hostages with guided yoga exercises and meditation, former hostages reported.
Almog Sarusi was also taken from the Nova festival. Sarusi’s partner, Shahar Gindi, was murdered there.
Alexander Lobanov, a 32-year-old Russian-Israeli, was also kidnapped from Nova. Lobanov’s wife, Michal, gave birth to her second son in February while he was in captivity.
Ori Danino, another hostage taken from the music festival, turned 25 in Hamas captivity.
Danino was captured from the Nova festival alongside friends Omer Shem-Tov, who remains in captivity, and siblings Maya and Itai Regev, who were freed in November’s hostage release deal.
The family of Ori Danino shared a post by his brother with a message alongside the words “Baruch Dayan HaEmet [“blessed is the true judge,” a Jewish affirmation upon hearing of one’s death].
Opposition leader Yair Lapid commented at the time, “While our sons and daughters are abandoned and die in captivity, Netanyahu is busy spinning the narrative.” He reiterated his previous opinion that Netanyahu is more concerned with the continuity of his coalition than the war or the hostages.
“We will continue to stand by the families and hug and protect them in difficult times,” he added.
US President Joe Biden said at the time that he was “devastated and outraged” to learn of the recovery of six dead hostages from Gaza, including Israeli-American Goldberg-Polin.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
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