JERUSALEM: The deaths of six Israeli prisoners whose bodies were recovered from Gaza in August were probably linked to an Israeli airstrike against Hamas near where they were being held, the Israeli military said on Wednesday.

“At the time of the strike, the military had no information, not even a suspicion, that the prisoners were in the underground compound or its vicinity,” the military said in a statement about the investigation into the prisoners’ deaths.

“Had such information been available, the strike would not have been carried out.” The statement said it was “highly probable that their deaths were related to the strike near the location where they were held”, although the precise circumstances were still not clear.

The military said the airstrike occurred in February while the bodies of the prisoners were recovered in late August.

Israel has continued its oppressions of the Palestinians since Oct 7, the day Israeli-Hamas conflict broke out. Since then Israel has carried out many inhumane and brutal operations against the civilians of Palestine. In August, TheGuardian reported “All 11 Universities in Gaza have been bombed by Israel. This number surpassed 10 when Israel targeted and bombed Al Azhar University. In total, 19 higher education organisations have suspended educational processes in Gaza depriving 88,000+ students their right to education.”

More than 123,000 people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since fighting began, the United Nations said. “Over 123,538 people, have been internally displaced in Gaza, mostly due to fear, protection concerns and the destruction of their homes,” said the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA.

Minors in conflict-stricken areas have felt their sense of safety “ripped away” said Jason Lee of charity group Save the Children. “Our teams and their families are terrified, they feel like sitting targets. Children across the region are in constant fear.”

Gaza is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, who have lived under a crippling Israeli blockade imposed after Hamas took power in 2007.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024