Bullets found in bodies of Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza
- Israeli military says it also found four bodies, thought to be Hamas militants, alongside the captives, that showed no gunshot wounds
Bullets were found in the bodies of the six Israeli hostages retrieved from Gaza this week, the Israeli military and the Hostage Families Forum campaign group said on Thursday.
The military said it retrieved another four bodies alongside its hostages, presumed to be Hamas militants, and that those bodies did not show signs of bullet wounds.
The comments came a day after US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the urgency of sealing a deal for a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants there.
A total of 109 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza. About a third of them are thought to be dead, with the fate of the others unknown.
“In every minute that the deal is not completed, another hostage could lose their life. It is clear to all that the return of the hostages is only possible through a deal,” the campaign group said.
It said the recovery of six hostage bodies was no achievement but rather a testament to the government’s failure to reach a deal on time and return the hostages alive.