Israeli army presence led to killing of 6 Gaza captives: probe

The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had concluded that military operations in southern Gaza likely led to the killing of six captives in August.

In late August, after troops found the six captives’ bodies in an underground shaft in Rafah, the military said they were killed just before soldiers reached them. 

Netanyahu claimed at the time that the six – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino – were “executed” with a bullet “to the head”.

Some Israeli reports at the time said they were likely killed as a result of carbon dioxide flooding the tunnel they were held in.

The military probe into their deaths claimed that Israeli “ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists’ decision to murder the six hostages”, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said that “based on the investigation, the hostages were murdered by gunfire from Hamas terrorists” while Israeli forces were operating in the Tel al-Sultan area.

Israeli probes concerning civilian deaths in Gaza or in the occupied West Bank have been subject to criticisms over the years due to inaccuracies and accusations of concealing the full truth.

The Israeli army has also been blamed for numerous captive deaths in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war in October last year.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group responded to the army’s statement by calling for action to bring back all remaining captives.

“The time has come to bring back all the hostages. We need a deal that will ensure the return of all hostages within a quick and predetermined timeframe,” it said in a statement.

As the war in Gaza continues to rage, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said that an Israeli delegation returned from a “significant” round of talks in Qatar aiming to secure a truce and the release of dozens of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, have taken place in Doha in recent days, rekindling hope of an agreement that has proven elusive.

On Monday, Netanyahu told parliament that there was “some progress” in the negotiations, and on Tuesday his office said Israeli negotiators had returned from Qatar after “significant negotiations”.

“The team is returning for internal consultations in Israel regarding the continuation of negotiations for the return of our hostages,” it added.

Hamas and other Palestinian groups have also reported progress this week towards a ceasefire.

96 captives are reportedly still held in the war-torn territory, including 34 the army says are dead.

Israel’s military onslaught in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 45,338 people in Gaza, in atrocities labelled as genocide by several experts, NGOs and world leaders.