Exchange of Accusations Between Israel and Hamas Over the Killing of Six Hostages

Netanyahu confirms that his country will not rest until the responsible parties are caught, while Hamas says the hostages were killed by continuous Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip.

2nd September 2024

3 minutes read

Exchange of Accusations Between Israel and Hamas Over the Killing of Six Hostages

Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) exchanged accusations this Sunday over the deaths of six hostages found by the Israeli army in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would not rest until it captures those responsible for killing the six hostages whose bodies were recovered.

Netanyahu explained in a statement that Israel is committed to reaching an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages and ensuring Israel’s security. He added, “Those who kill hostages do not want an agreement.”

Ezzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, on Sunday blamed Israel for the death of the hostages.

He said, “The responsibility for the death of the prisoners held by the resistance lies with the occupation, which insists on continuing its genocidal war and evading a ceasefire agreement.”

He added, “The occupation, armed with American weapons, kills our people daily. The hostages found in Gaza were killed by Zionist bombardment. If President Biden cares about their lives, he should stop supporting this enemy with money and weapons and pressure the occupation to end its aggression immediately.”

Rishq stressed that “Netanyahu, his extremist government, and all supporters of this aggression will pay the price for these brutal crimes and the genocidal war against our people for the past 11 months.”

He held the U.S. administration and Biden personally responsible for the daily crimes and genocide in Gaza, which has so far resulted in over 150,000 casualties, 69% of whom are children and women.

He said, “History will remember Biden, as he leaves the White House, as being complicit and supportive of war criminals Netanyahu and his gang.”

Rishq emphasized that “Hamas was more concerned than Biden about the lives of the hostages, which is why it accepted his proposal and the Security Council resolution, both of which Netanyahu rejected. His administration gave in to Netanyahu’s conditions, aimed at blocking the agreement to maintain his power.”

The Israeli army announced the recovery of six hostages’ bodies after finding them in a tunnel in Gaza, confirming their identities.

In a statement, the army said, “The army and Shin Bet (internal security agency) have retrieved the bodies of the hostages Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Saroussi, and Ori Danino from a tunnel in the Rafah area, southern Gaza.”

Five of them, aged between 23 and 32, were abducted during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7.

According to Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari, “From our initial assessment, they were brutally killed by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them.”

The announcement sparked anger from the opposition, with its leader Yair Lapid calling on Sunday for a strike to shut down the country’s economy to pressure the government into reaching an agreement to free the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Lapid, a former prime minister, invited every Israeli “whose heart broke this morning” to join a major protest in Tel Aviv later today.

He also asked Israel’s main labor union, businesses, and municipalities to participate in the strike.

The Hostage Families Forum, which represents the families of hostages held in Gaza, criticized Netanyahu’s war policies, stating, “Had it not been for delays, sabotage, and excuses, those whose deaths we learned of this morning would likely still be alive,” and calling for the hostages’ release.

The forum noted that Alexander Lobanov had become a father to a five-month-old baby during his captivity.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement, “The heart of the entire nation is broken.”

U.S. President Joe Biden, who closely monitors the fate of the hostages abducted on October 7, noted that Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American, was among the hostages. In a statement issued by the White House, Biden said, “I am shocked and outraged.”