IDF spokesperson says hostages ‘brutally murdered’ shortly before troops arrived

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the six hostages recovered from southern Gaza’s Rafah were “brutally murdered” by Hamas shortly before troops arrived.

“According to an initial assessment… they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short while before we reached them. They were abducted alive on the morning of October 7 by the Hamas terror group. Their bodies were found during the fighting in Rafah, in a tunnel, about a kilometer away from the tunnel from which we rescued Farhan al-Qadi a few days ago,” he says in a press conference.

“Since Farhan was found, troops were given an emphasis on operating carefully even more than usual, because of the understanding that additional hostages may be in the area. We did not have information on the exact location of the hostages,” Hagari says.

He also says troops battled Hamas terror operatives above ground in the area where the tunnel was located.