Four Hostages, Including British-Israeli Man, Killed in Hamas Captivity

[Social Media]

 

Four hostages, including a British-Israeli citizen, have been killed while in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military. The victims include Nadav Popplewell, 51, who was taken from Kibbutz Nirim, and Israelis Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metsger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 84, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

 

Watch the following statement from IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari regarding the death of 4 hostages under Hamas captivity

“Hamas is holding women, children, the sick and the elderly hostage in Gaza. We will keep on doing everything we need for their freedom…This is what any other decent country in the world would do.”

🔴Watch the following statement from IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari… pic.twitter.com/6AYLgogvon

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 3, 2024

 

Nadav Popplewell's death was confirmed by Israeli officials on Monday. He had been last seen alive in a Hamas propaganda video released in early May, where he appeared with a black eye. Described as a family man who enjoyed playing card games and reading science fiction, Popplewell’s death was a profound loss for his community.

 

Members of Kibbutz Nirim shared the news of Popplewell’s death, expressing their condolences to his family. "It is with deep sadness that we have now been informed of the death of our friend Nadav Popplewell in the captivity of Hamas in Gaza,” the kibbutz statement read. “We mourn and are hurt by the death of Nadav and share in the deep mourning of Channah, Ayelet, and the family and embrace them."

 

Popplewell's brother had also been killed in the October 7 terrorist attack. Chaim Peri, one of the other victims, was among 24 hostages freed on November 24 as part of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Peri, a film lecturer and activist, had been abducted from his home while trying to shield his wife behind a couch.

 

Yoram Metsger, who had diabetes and a broken hip, was kidnapped along with his wife, 78-year-old Tamar Metsger, who was released in mid-November. Amiram Cooper, an economist and one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was also kidnapped with his wife, Nurit, who was released on October 23.

 

Hamas had previously claimed that all four men were killed in Israeli airstrikes, a claim that remains under investigation by Israeli authorities. “We estimate that the four were killed together, in the Khan Younis area, several months ago, while being held by Hamas terrorists and while IDF forces were operating in Khan Younis,” said Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “We are examining the circumstances of death in-depth, looking into all possibilities, and we will present the findings as soon as possible, firstly to the families and then to the public,” he added.

 

With these deaths, the Israeli military has confirmed the deaths of 41 out of the 124 hostages who were held in Gaza. The grim news comes as cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas remain stalled. The U.S. has been pushing for a proposal that would include a six-week truce and the release of all hostages, along with increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

 

 

President Biden has acknowledged the difficulty of keeping the proposal on track but urged both sides to reach an agreement. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that Hamas is the primary obstacle to achieving a cease-fire. “The world should know — the Palestinian people should know — that the only thing standing in the way of an immediate cease-fire today is Hamas,” Miller told reporters. “The proposal on the table is nearly identical to what Hamas said it would accept just a few weeks ago, and it is now time for them to act,” he added.

 

Credit: New York Post 2024-06-04

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Bkk Brian]

The terrorists keep holding their hostages and making demands for them even when they're dead. Despicable. 

 

The IDF has now confirmed the deaths of 41 of the remaining 120 hostages still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 79 of those being alive. The terror group had abducted 251 people on October 7.

 

Why have Hamas not confirmed the number of hostages it still has and who they are?