- Gantz threatens to resign over Gaza conflict plan
- His resignation would increase Netanyahu’s far-right reliance
- Conflict ongoing; Gaza demilitarization and hostages remain issues
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported that they have recovered the remains of one of the detainees held captive in Gaza.
Ron Benjamin, 53, was discovered with the remains of three other hostages whose identities were confirmed on Friday, according to the army.
On October 7, the 53-year-old was participating in a group bicycle journey near the Gaza border when the Hamas assault commenced.
Approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives in the unprecedented assault that occurred when Hamas militants stormed into Israel. They returned 252 individuals as detainees to Gaza.
Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, stated in an X-posted statement that military intelligence determined he was murdered on October 7.
According to the military, Mr. Benjamin was slain at the Mefalsim intersection, and Hamas militants “abducted his body to Gaza.”
Identification procedures were performed on the remains of Mr. Benjamin, and his family has been notified.
According to information provided by Mr. Benjamin’s family to Israeli media outlets, he was cycling with a group near the Gaza border when the Hamas attack broke out, and he decided to return home by car.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was a family man, a father of two, and a husband. He enjoyed cycling and “used to go out for a ride every Saturday, just as he did on that fateful Saturday from the Kibbutz Be’eri area where he was taken hostage.”
Ron loved traveling in Israel and around the world, and he loved music,” according to the organization.
The recovery of Mr. Benjamin’s remains occurred concurrently with the recoveries of three additional detainees’ remains: Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, and Itzhak Gelerenter.
The three victims, whose corpses were transported to Gaza, were reportedly killed at an intersection near the location of the Nova festival massacre in southern Israel, according to the IDF.
Ms. Louk, an individual of German-Israeli descent, was in attendance at the festival in the vicinity of Kibbutz Re’im when gunfire broke out, causing frightened revelers to flee across the desert.
Immediately following the attacks, a photograph of Ms. Louk being carried through the streets by armed combatants in a flatbed truck began to propagate on social media.
Her mother reported in October that the Israeli military had verified her daughter’s death following the discovery of a fragment of her skull bone.
Ms. Buskila, a fashion stylist and social media influencer, was abducted on October 7 while on the phone with her uncle while attempting to conceal herself.
Mr. Gelerenter, who was only a few hours before the assaults, arrived at the Nova festival as a grandfather and father.
Hamas transferred 240 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails and 105 hostages in exchange for a week-long cessation of hostilities, as per an agreement reached in November.
“Unlock your financial potential with free Webull shares in the UK.”
The current survival rate of the unaccounted-for remains unknown.
Hamas has not responded to the most recent IDF announcement; however, the armed wing of Hamas stated on Friday that the return of the captives they are holding would require an “honorable exchange deal for our people.”
Prolonged negotiations in Cairo, intended to achieve a ceasefire and additional liberations of hostages, are presently mired in stalemate.
The Hamas-run health ministry reports that since the October 7 attacks, Israel has launched an offensive in Gaza that has claimed the lives of over 35,000 people, the majority of whom were civilians.
The United Nations reports that approximately 2.2 million Palestinians are in critical need of shelter and other assistance due to persistent food shortages.
The initial humanitarian shipment reached Gaza through a temporary floating pier on Friday. However, governments and international organizations have cautioned that the maritime route was comparatively less effective than land routes.
