On Tuesday, January 16, Kibbutz Be'eri reported the tragic deaths of Itay Swirski and Yosef Sharabi, who were abducted by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the kibbutz expressed deep sorrow, stating, "It is with profound sadness that we learned today about the killing of Itay Swirsky and Yosef Sharabi. Their bodies are being held by Hamas, and we will demand their return, along with our other abductees."
On January 14, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization released a video featuring Noah Argamani, Itay Swirsky, and Yosef Sharabi, promising to soon disclose their fate. The following day, terrorists reported that two men were killed in IDF attacks, and Noa Argamani was wounded.
Commenting on the video, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari refuted Hamas statements, clarifying that Itai Swirsky did not die as a result of IDF actions.
Hagari stated, "This is a Hamas lie. The building housing the hostages was not the target of the air force attack and was not hit. We did not know their whereabouts in real time. We do not attack targets where hostages may be present."
Hagari added, "Looking back, we know that the strikes did not hit targets close to where the hostages were held. We are investigating the incident." However, he acknowledged that IDF representatives met with the families of the hostages, expressing concern for the lives of Itay Swirsky and Yosef Sharabi based on the information available to Israel.
