IOF confirms deaths of two additional Israeli captives in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jul 2024 20:20

The IOF said that the captives' deaths were confirmed through intelligence and that the circumstances are under investigation by the relevant authorities.

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardments in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) announced Monday that two additional Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip have died.

"Today (Monday), IDF representatives informed the families of Alex Dancyg and Yagev Buchshtab, who were both brutally abducted into the Gaza Strip, that they are no longer alive and their bodies are being held by [...] Hamas..." the statement read.

The IOF added that the captives' deaths were confirmed through intelligence, and noted that the circumstances were under investigation by the relevant authorities.

Over the past few weeks, several observers argued that a ceasefire agreement was within reach, with Axios reporting that CIA Director Bill Burns and top US advisors were on their way to Cairo to seal an agreement.

But with recent developments and the Israeli delegation stalling in negotiations, frustration is clearly felt on the US side, which comes as no surprise since the Israeli side has been obstinate in reaching an agreement since the war began.

Many of the captives who have died in the past nine months were killed as a result of "Israel's" indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza. The Israeli blockade of the Strip has further exacerbated this issue.

On July 6, Reuters reported that Hamas accepted a US proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli captives, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the war on Gaza.

But two days later, a statement released from Netanyahu's office indicated that the prime minister would not be ready to endorse a permanent ceasefire until the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza is completely eliminated.

An unnamed senior Hamas source told AFP on July 14 that the movement had "decided to halt negotiations with the Israeli occupation to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip due to its lack of seriousness and its perpetration of massacres against unarmed civilians."