Deaths of two Israeli hostages in Gaza announced

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military announced on Monday the deaths of two Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

The military said that they had determined the deaths of Yagev Buchshtab, 35, and Alex Dancyg, 76, who were kidnapped from their homes in southern Israel on Oct. 7, based on intelligence.

The military did not say when the hostages had died.

Dancyg, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, marked his 76th birthday on Sunday. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Dancyg worked for over 30 years at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and passed time in captivity by giving history lectures to the other hostages.

Yagev Buchstab, 35, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7 along with his wife, Rimon Buchshtab-Kirsht. Rimon was released during the November cease-fire deal after 50 days in captivity.

There are approximately 120 hostages still being held in Gaza, though Israel believes more than 40 are no longer alive.

Talks continue on a cease-fire proposal that could secure the return of the hostages still held in Gaza and end the nine-month war.

A negotiating team will be sent to continue talks on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

Netanyahu left for a trip to the United States on Monday morning, accompanied by some of the families of the hostages and released hostages.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Before stepping on the plane, Netanyahu said he would emphasize the theme of Israel’s bipartisanship in his speech and said Israel would remain America’s key ally in the Middle East “regardless who the American people choose as their next president.”

“In this time of war and uncertainty, it’s important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together,” he said, adding that he will meet President Joe Biden during his trip and thank him for his support for Israel.

The Israeli military ordered civilians to leave parts of the Gazan city of Khan Younis due to a renewed assault against Hamas terrorists.

The Israel Defense Forces “is about to forcefully operate against the terrorist organizations,” the military said in a statement early Monday. The remaining population in the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis should temporarily move to the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, it said.

The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas terrorists burst into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Israel responded with an air and ground assault has claimed the lives of 39,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which doesn’t distinguish between between fighters and civilians.

Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada and the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said that one person was killed after he attempted to stab Israeli security forces with a knife at the entrance to an Israeli town along the Gaza border on Monday morning.

According to Israel’s Army Radio, the attacker arrived at the security checkpoint by car and in English started accusing Israel of carrying out atrocities in Gaza.

The attack took place at the entrance of the Israeli town of Netiv Haasara, which is just 300 yards north of the Gaza border. Israeli police confirmed that the attacker was a Canadian citizen.