The IDF disclosed Sunday that the families of hostages Sergeant Ron Sherman, Corporal Nik Beizer, and Elia Toledano – who were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip on October 7 from the Nova rave – have been officially informed of the news that their loved ones were killed as a result of IDF fire, months after their bodies were found.
Military officials briefed the families on the findings of an investigation, providing the first confirmation that the hostages died due to an IDF strike.
At that time, it was reported that the pathological examination could not conclusively determine the cause of death for two of the hostages. The IDF has now presented the families with key findings from the pathological report and details surrounding the recovery of the bodies. Military officials emphasized to the bereaved families that during the operation in the underground area where the strike occurred, there was no intelligence indicating the presence of hostages at the location.
The remains of two of the deceased were retrieved from a Hamas tunnel during an IDF operation in Jabalia on December 14, 2023, alongside Toledano's body. Just two days prior, the bodies of Eden Zacharia and Staff Sergeant Ziv Dado, who fell victim to Hamas on October 7, were recovered from the same vicinity.
Initially, it was stated that the pathological examination could not definitively determine the cause of death for two of the hostages. The IDF has now presented the bereaved families with crucial findings from the pathological report and details surrounding the recovery operation. Military officials stressed to the families that during the operation in the underground area where the strike occurred, there was no intelligence suggesting the presence of hostages at the site.
In close proximity to where the bodies were discovered, the IDF had targeted a tunnel that led to the elimination of Ahmed Ghandour, the commander of the Northern Brigade of Gaza. The investigation uncovered that during the strike, the IDF had no knowledge of hostages in the area. The forces stumbled upon the bodies during tunnel searches, without any prior intelligence about their whereabouts.
The forensic report revealed no signs of physical trauma or gunshot wounds on the bodies, indicating they were not killed by direct impact from the strike. Given the condition of the remains, the precise cause of death could not be established.
