IDF tells families 2 hostages weren’t killed by its airstrikes, cause of death probed

IDF representatives yesterday updated the families of former Gaza hostages Sgt. Ron Sherman and Cpl. Nik Beizer regarding new information on the cause of their deaths during Hamas captivity.

The bodies of the two soldiers, along with civilian Elia Toledano, were recovered from a Hamas tunnel in Jabaliya on December 14. Two days prior, the bodies of Warrant Officer Ziv Dado and civilian Eden Zacharia, who were murdered on October 7, were found in the same area.

The IDF representatives presented the families of Sherman and Beizer with the pathology report and findings from the operation to retrieve the bodies.

Near the location where the bodies were found, the IDF carried out an airstrike targeting the commander of Hamas’s Northern Gaza Brigade, Ahmed Ghandour, who was hiding in a tunnel.

The IDF’s investigation, presented to the families, has found that the military was not aware of hostages being held in the area when the strike on the tunnel was carried out.

The bodies were found during scans of the tunnel, without any prior intelligence, according to the IDF’s findings.

The pathology report shown to the families shows that their bodies had no signs of trauma or gunfire, indicating that they were not killed directly by the airstrike or other IDF action.

Due to the condition of the bodies, medical officials have so far been unable to determine a cause of death.

At this stage, the military cannot confirm or deny that they may have suffocated, been strangulated, poisoned, or another cause indirectly related to an IDF attack or Hamas action.

Samples were taken for toxicology testing, which may shed light on their cause of death.