Six hostages are dead. Hamas is responsible for not only taking them hostage, but for letting them die in captivity.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirms that the military has declared the deaths of several hostages who were being held in the Gaza Strip.

“We are continuing to invest many intelligence and operational efforts, to bring information on the conditions of the hostages,” Hagari says.

“In the last few days, the IDF and police notified the families of Eliyahu Margalit, Mia Goren, Ronen Engel and Aryeh Zalmanovich of their deaths,” he says.

Their deaths were confirmed as the current cease-fire was broken by Hamas attacking Israelis at a bus station, refusing to release more of the women and children they hold hostage, and by firing rockets against Israel.