By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency / Jewish News Agency
Jerusalem, Israel — August 20, 2024 … Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, today made the following statement:
“The IDF and ISA conducted a complex operation, entering Hamas tunnels in Khan Younis to retrieve the bodies of hostages Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry- of blessed memory. I share in the deep grief of their families and loved ones.
This Israel Defense Forces humanitarian operation reflects the determination and courage of our troops. We will continue working to achieve the goals of this war – returning the hostages to Israel and dismantling Hamas.”
Avraham Munder, 79, was the only hostage among the six whose death had not already been established. He was abducted from Nir Oz, a kibbutz, or communal village, near the Gaza border, along with three of the others: Haim Peri, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; and Alexander Dancyg, 75. The remaining two, Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtab, 35, were taken from another border community, Nirim.
A three-member Israel Health Ministry medical panel, which has been operating confidentially until now, yesterday ruled that several Israeli hostages are deceased.
The Israeli medical panel was established about two weeks after the Hamas Terror Massacre on October 7, where 1,200 people were murdered and raped by Hamas, to spare families from not knowing what happened to their loved ones and to give them some closure.
