Israeli troops found the bodies of five hostages on Sunday in a secret tunnel in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uncovered Hamas tunnel complexes by troops from the intelligence and engineering corps.
The tunnels included massive cave-like command rooms, toilets, and workspaces.
The bodies were identified as Warrant Officer Ziv Dado, Sgt. Ron Sherman, Cpl. Nik Beizer, Eden Zacharia, and Elia Toledano. They were brought into Israel and brought back to Israel.
“The bodies were transferred for examination to the Pathology Institute, where the circumstances of their deaths will be confirmed,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “We will update the families and then, with the families' approval, inform the public. We share in the families' sorrow and embrace them.
In a statement, the IDF explained the portion that led to the discovery of the bodies.
The operations included fierce battles during which many terrorists were killed by IDF soldiers, and hundreds of weapons were located.
As part of the operation and following advanced intelligence, the soldiers, in cooperation with the Multidimensional Unit and the Yahalom Unit, they exposed a strategic tunnel network that served as Hamas’ northern headquarters in Gaza. The underground headquarters included two levels – the first approximately 10 meters deep and the second dozens of meters deep. The tunnel network, with many routes, was used for directing combat and the movement of terrorists. At the depth of the military headquarters, weapons, infrastructure for manufacturing weapons, and emergency hideouts were found. The network was connected to a shaft leading to the residence of the Commander of Hamas’ Northern Brigade, Ahmad Andur. The underground network also passed beneath a school and a hospital.
In a centralized intelligence effort led by Unit 504 of the Intelligence Directorate, the soldiers located and recovered the bodies of five hostages abducted on October 7th and brought them to be buried in Israel: Warrant Officer Ziv Dado, Sergeant Ron Sherman, Corporal Nik Beizer, Eden Zacharia, and Elia Toledano. May their memory be a blessing.
The findings were presented to the families by IDF representatives. The IDF expresses its condolences to the bereaved families and will continue to accompany them. The IDF, in cooperation with other security organizations, is continuing to act through a variety of intelligence and operational means to return the hostages.
Upon completion of this mission, the forces dismantled the subterranean headquarters. The demolition of the headquarters in Jabalya is part of the effort to deal with Hamas’ tunnel infrastructure and to strike at its senior commanders and its strategic capabilities. This effort is continuing at all times and is now being carried out in Khan Yunis and the southern Gaza Strip.
Hagari revealed that Israel found “30,000 explosive devices, including anti-tank missiles and rockets that were in Hamas’ possession.”
He said that the IDF is seizing the weapons, neutralizing Hamas terrorism.
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