On Monday the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of four Israeli hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
The four hostages have been identified as 80-year-old Chaim Peri, 80-year-old Yoram Metzger, 84-year-old Amiram Cooper, and 51-year-old Nadav Popplewell.
The four men were held by the Palestinian Islamist group as per the Israeli military. Last month videos posted by Hamas had shown all four men alive. However, Hamas later claimed that Popplewell died from wounds inflicted by an Israeli air strike when posting his video last month.
‘New intelligence led to the confirmation of their deaths’, said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson.
He added that the military believes the four men were killed together in Khan Yunis, a southern city in Gaza, several months ago while Israeli forces were active in the area.
He added, ‘We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Yunis during our operation there against Hamas’.
Hagari assured that the situations of their deaths are being investigated, with findings to be shared with the families first and then with the public.
Chaim Peri, who was 80, was at his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack. His son recounted that Peri tried to protect his wife by hiding her behind a sofa and eventually surrendered to the gunmen to save her.
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