Three Israeli hostages, whose bodies were found last year in underground tunnels in Gaza, were most likely killed in a military airstrike aimed at a Hamas commander, an investigation into their deaths concluded.
An investigation into the deaths of Nik Beizer, 19, Ron Sherman, 19, and Elia Toledano, 28, found there was a “high probability” that the hostages were killed “as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike” targeting Hamas Northern Brigade commander Ahmed Ghandour, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday. The three hostages were being held in a tunnel where Ghandour was operating when the military struck on Nov. 10, according to the IDF. Their bodies were found in a Hamas tunnel complex on Dec. 14, and the investigation into their deaths concluded in recent days.
“At the time of the strike, the IDF did not have information about the presence of hostages in the targeted compound,” the military said.
The IDF said that it was a “high probability” assessment but that it was “not possible to definitively determine” the cause of the three hostages’ deaths. Its assessment is based on a number of factors, including intelligence reports, the location of where their bodies were found, an analysis of the strike and conclusions from the Forensic Medicine Institute.
“The IDF shares in the grief of the families over the devastating loss and will continue to accompany them,” the IDF added.
Both Beizer and Sherman were members of the Israeli military.
Sherman was serving in his first year in the IDF, assigned to a base near a Gaza border crossing, when Hamas bombed and then attacked the soldiers inside. Sherman’s mother previously told NBC News that he texted his parents just before he was abducted in the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, saying, “Mom, I love you,” in Hebrew.
The investigative findings deliver another blow to Israel’s government, which faces intense domestic protests calling for a cease-fire deal.
The IDF said this month it found the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas and returned them to Israel.
Their deaths sparked tens of thousands of Israelis to take to the streets, directing their anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some relatives of hostages who remain captive in Gaza were also outspoken against Netanyahu and accused him of prioritizing his own political agenda over the lives of their loved ones.
An estimated 250 people were abducted and were hostage in the Gaza Strip. More than 100 were released during a short-lived cease-fire agreement at the end of November before the deal to pause hostilities fell apart.
Since then, some hostages were either rescued or found dead by the military. The IDF estimated that 101 hostages in Gaza.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
