Israel releases footage of Gaza tunnel where six hostages were found dead

JERUSALEM, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — The Israeli military on Tuesday released video footage of a tunnel in the Gaza Strip where the bodies of six hostages shot by Hamas were reportedly found.

Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, presented the video at a press conference after inspecting the tunnel. He said a shaft hidden in a residential building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip leads to the tunnel, which is 20 meters underground.

The video shows a low, narrow passageway with no toilets and poor ventilation. Hagari added that the tunnel was extremely humid, saying: “There is no air to breathe.”

Also visible in the tunnel are a chessboard, a hairbrush, USB chargers, a Kalashnikov rifle with ammunition and flashlights. Hagari said bloodstains were visible on the floor.

He claimed that the six hostages, two women and four men, were killed by Hamas fighters a day before their bodies were recovered.

“All evidence in the tunnel has been collected for investigation. We are examining the materials and following every lead to track down the terrorists responsible for this heinous murder,” the military spokesman said, pointing out that other hostages “are being held in similar conditions.”

The recovery of the bodies of the six hostages on August 31 sparked an outcry of public outrage against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets and demanded that Netanyahu negotiate an agreement to release the remaining hostages.

In a surprise attack on Israeli towns near Gaza on October 7, 2023, Hamas took about 250 hostages. According to Israeli authorities, 101 hostages are still being held by Hamas, and dozens of them are believed to be dead.