The announcement on June 3 pressurise on the Israeli government to agree to a U.S. cease-fire proposal that could secure the return of the hostages still held in Gaza and end the eight-month war.
As four more hostages kidnapped on October 7 were declared dead by the Israeli military — including three older adults seen in a Hamas video begging to be released.
Since the Biden administration announced the cease-fire proposal on June 31, Israel has seen some of its largest protests calling on the government to bring them home.
Israeli leadership has appeared to brush aside the President Joe Biden’s proposal, vowing to keep conducting military operations against Hamas until the militant group is destroyed. About 80 hostages in Gaza are believed to be alive, alongside the remains of 43 others.
The Hostages Forum, a grassroots group representing the families of the hostages, asserts that all four men—Nadav Popplewell, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger, and Haim Peri—were abducted and taken into Gaza while still alive on the night of June 3.
“It is time to end this cycle of sacrifice and neglect,” the group wrote in a statement following the announcement.
“Their murder in captivity is a mark of disgrace and a sad reflection on the significance of delaying previous deals.” The group called on the government to immediately approve the new cease-fire plan.
In November, approximately 100 captives were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during a weeklong hostage swap. Among the four men declared dead on Monday, three had female relatives who were also released during that exchange.
According to Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel’s military spokesperson, the four hostages were killed while they were together during an operation in Khan Younis, central Gaza. Although their deaths occurred months ago, recent operations provided enough intelligence for the military to officially declare them deceased. Their bodies remain in Hamas’ custody.
“We are checking all of the options. There are a lot of questions,” he said.
Cooper, Metzger, and Peri, all aged 80 or older, featured in a video released by Hamas in December. The video, titled “Don’t Let Us Grow Old Here,” shows the three men looking gaunt, dressed in thin white T-shirts.
“We are the generation who built the foundation for the state of Israel,” Haim Peri says, noting that all the men have chronic illnesses. “We do not understand why we have been abandoned here.”
In May, Hamas asserted that the remaining hostage, Nadav Popplewell, succumbed to injuries from an Israeli airstrike, although no evidence was presented. Popplewell was over 50 years old.
Cooper, an economist and a kibbutz Nir Oz founder, and Metzger, who played a role in establishing the kibbutz winery, were among the other hostages. Additionally, Peri contributed to the community by creating its art gallery and sculpture garden.
During the surprise attack on Israel by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, led by Hamas, Nir Oz—a kibbutz in southern Israel—suffered significant casualties. Scores of kibbutz residents were killed, homes were burned, and civilians were abducted.
On June 3, the Israeli military declared the men dead based on intelligence assessments, which were corroborated by health officials and Israel’s chief rabbi.
Earlier that day, it was announced that the body of Dolev Yehud, a presumed hostage, had been found in a community near the Gaza border. Yehud was believed to be among the hostages held in Gaza until the military confirmed his death, attributing it to the initial attack by Hamas militants on October 7.
Over the course of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, more than 36,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. Notably, this figure does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
In the southern city of Rafah, which was previously a central hub for humanitarian aid operations, Israel has intensified its offensive. As a result, the flow of essential supplies—including food and medicine—to Palestinians has been severely disrupted, exacerbating the widespread hunger crisis.
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