The Israeli military has released video of what it says is the tunnel where six Israeli hostages were held and killed by Hamas.
Blood on the floor of a dark, cramped tunnel sealed by an iron door, bullets and a chess set are seen in the video released by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
The video was filmed by the military last Friday, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
It was released to the public on Tuesday after it had been viewed by the hostages’ families and the Israeli security cabinet.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the location or the date when the video was filmed.
The six hostages were killed on the night of August 29, Rear Admiral Hagari said.
Their bodies were found and retrieved by Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza area of Rafah around two days later.
Rear Admiral Hagari said at least two Hamas gunmen shot the hostages dead in the tunnel, which is 20 metres below ground, less than 170 centimetres high and about 80 centimetres wide.
The footage shows an exit shaft with four ladders leading to a house above.
The hostages had likely been held in the dank tunnel, where it is hard to breathe and to stand up straight, for some time, possibly weeks, Rear Admiral Hagari said.
A version of the video with English narration showed Kalashnikov rifle magazines, bags containing plastic bottles filled with urine and a bucket in a hole that served as a toilet.
The tunnel where six Israeli hostages were held and killed, according to the Israeli military. (Supplied: Israeli Defense Forces / Handout)
Women’s clothing was strewn on the ground. The Hebrew version, broadcast live on Israeli television, also showed a chess set.
Israeli troops were in the area, fighting Hamas militants above ground, when the hostages were killed, Rear Admiral Hagari said, adding that the soldiers had not been attempting a rescue operation.
The military did not have precise verified intelligence about the hostages’ presence in the area, he said.
The six dead hostages were two women and four men aged between 23 and 40, five of whom were taken from the Nova dance festival attacked by militants on October 7 last year.
One of them was a father whose baby was born after he was taken hostage. The killings have sparked outrage and an outpouring of grief in Israel.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza that would include a hostage release deal have faltered, with Israel and Hamas trading blame for the deadlock.
Israelis staged mass protests last week demanding their leaders do more to secure the hostages’ release.
Hamas-led fighters took around 250 foreign and Israeli hostages when they burst into Israel on October 7 and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since, according to Palestinian officials.
Israel says that around 100 hostages remain in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed dead.
More than 100 hostages were released in return for Palestinian prisoners in November and eight have been rescued by Israeli forces.
Reuters/ABC
