Israel declares 4 more hostages dead in Gaza, including 3 elderly men from Hamas Video

JERUSALEM (AP) — Four more hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7 have been declared dead by the Israeli military, including three elderly men seen in a Hamas video begging for their release. Monday’s announcement increases pressure on the Israeli government to agree to a U.S. cease-fire proposal that could secure the return of hostages still held in Gaza and end the eight-month war.

About 80 hostages in Gaza are believed to still be alive, along with the remains of 43 others. In the days since President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire proposal on Friday, Israel has seen some of the largest protests calling on the government to bring the hostages home. Although Biden said the proposal was Israeli, Israeli leaders appear to be distancing themselves from the plan and have vowed to continue conducting military operations against Hamas until the militant group is destroyed.

All four men declared dead on Monday night – Nadav Popplewell, Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Haim Peri – were kidnapped and brought to Gaza alive, according to the Hostages Forum, a grassroots group representing the hostages’ families.

“It is time to end this cycle of victimization and neglect,” the group said following the announcement. “Their killing in captivity is a sign of shame and a sad reflection of the significance of delaying previous agreements.” The group called on the government to immediately approve the new ceasefire plan.

Hundreds of people, including relatives of the prisoners, gathered outside the Israeli Defense Ministry and military headquarters in central Tel Aviv late Monday, demanding an agreement. Smaller protests took place across the country.

In November, around 100 prisoners were released in a week-long hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Three of the men declared dead on Monday had female relatives who were released as part of the exchange.

Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Admiral. Daniel Hagarisaid the four hostages were killed while they were together during the army operation in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. He said the four were killed months ago, but recent operations had allowed the military to gather enough information to confirm the deaths.

Their bodies are still being held by Hamas, and the cause of death was initially unclear. In May, Hamas claimed that the other hostage declared dead, Nadav Popplewell, died as a result of an Israeli airstrike, but provided no evidence. Popplewell was over 50 years old.

“We are considering all options. There are many questions,” Hagari said.

Cooper, Metzger and Peri were all 80 years old or older. They appeared in a video released by Hamas in December titled “Let’s not grow old here.” In the video, the three men appear gaunt and wear thin white T-shirts.

“We are the generation that laid the foundation for the State of Israel,” said Peri, pointing out that all the men are chronically ill. “We don’t understand why we have been abandoned here.”

Cooper was an economist and one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, according to the hostage forum. Metzger helped establish the kibbutz’s winery, and Peri built the community’s art gallery and sculpture garden.

Nir Oz was among the worst-hit towns near the Gaza border during the Hamas attack on October 7, when Palestinian militants stormed Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages into Gaza.

The news came late Monday, following an announcement earlier the same day that the body of 35-year-old Dolev Yehud, a suspected hostage, had been found in a community near the Gaza border that was attacked by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. Yehud was believed to be one of dozens of hostages held in Gaza until Monday, when the military announced the discovery of his body and said he had been killed in the initial attack.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombings and ground operations in Gaza.

Israel is expanding its offensive to the southern city of Rafah, once the main hub of humanitarian aid operations. The Israeli invasion of Rafah has largely cut off access to food, medicine and other supplies to Palestinians suffering from widespread hunger.