The Israel Defense Forces on Monday (June 3, 2024) announced four more people, who were taken as hostages by the Hamas group during the October 7 attack, have died.
The Israeli military force said their bodies are still held by Hamas.
The deceased people were identified as British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85.
Chief spokesperson for the IDF, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, was quoted as saying by CNN, “Their loved ones were killed a few months ago during Hamas captivity in Gaza and their bodies are still being held by Hamas. We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during an operation there against Hamas.”
Hamas, last week, had claimed Popplewell died during an Israeli strike in April.
Condoling his death, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron posted on X: “Greatly saddened to hear about the death of Nadav Popplewell who had been held in captivity by Hamas since 7 October. “
“My thoughts are with his loved ones at this terrible time for them.
With a new deal on the table, we reiterate our demand for Hamas to send all hostages home,” he said.
As per Israeli authorities, Hamas had killed 1200 people and took over 200 people as hostages during the October 7 attack.
During a week-long truce, the group released 105 people.
About 120 hostages remain unaccounted for.
Israel launched a military campaign as a reply to the cross-border attack.
A staggering one million people have now fled Rafah in southern Gaza, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday, amid fresh reports of overnight attacks in southern, central and northern locations by Israeli forces.
The city of Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt had been home to well over a million forcibly displaced by nearly eight months of daily bombardment by the Israeli military, in response to Hamas-led terror attack in southern Israel on 7 October.
“Thousands of families now shelter in damaged and destroyed facilities in Khan Younis, where UNRWA keeps providing essential services, despite increasing challenges. Conditions are unspeakable,” the UN agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.