The Hostage Families Forum campaign group revealed on Thursday that autopsy reports have discovered bullets in the bodies of the six Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza this week. This disclosure comes just a day after US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expedite a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants. It is estimated that 109 hostages are still being held in Gaza, with approximately one-third believed to be deceased and the status of the remaining hostages uncertain.
The campaign group emphasized that with each passing minute without a deal, the likelihood of another hostage's life being lost increases. They stated that the retrieval of six hostage bodies is not a success, but rather an indication of the government's inability to secure a timely agreement to bring the hostages back alive. International efforts to broker a ceasefire have resumed in Cairo, although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed the region on Tuesday without achieving a resolution to the 10-month conflict.
The ongoing ceasefire negotiations, which have intermittently continued for months, have revolved around the same core issues, with both Israel and Hamas steadfastly adhering to their respective demands. The majority of Israel's hostages were captured by Hamas militants who invaded southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, and the abduction of around 250 individuals as hostages.
