Israeli military says 3 hostages were ‘most likely’ killed in November strike

The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed that three Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza in December were “most likely” killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike.

The Israeli military says that three Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza in December were “most likely” killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike. The hostages were two soldiers - Corporal Nick Beiser and Sergeant Ron Sherman – and and civilian man, Eliya Toledano. Recovering the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 is one of the main goals of Israel’s campaign in Gaza and the government is under intense domestic pressure to secure their release. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the families of all three were informed Sunday after the conclusion of the investigation, which involved intelligence and operational research efforts and considerations of the security of the hostages. “It is estimated that the three were most likely killed as a by-product of an IDF airstrike, during the assassination of the commander of the northern division of Hamas, Ahmed Andor, on November 10, 2023.” “This is an estimate with a high probability in view of all the data, but it is not possible to determine with certainty the circumstances of their death,” the IDF said. “This determination is based on the location where their bodies were found in relation to the impact of the attack,” as well as intelligence findings and pathological reports.