Jerusalem, Sep 1 (IANS) Hamas continues to hold 101 hostages in Gaza including women, children, and the elderly, said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, in a statement on Sunday regarding the recovery of the bodies of six hostages.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that the bodies of six hostages who were all taken hostage alive by Hamas during the October 7 massacre and murdered in Hamas captivity were recovered from inside the tunnel in Rafah and have been brought back to Israel," the Spokesperson said in a video on X.

He added, "At this stage, we assess that the hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before our soldiers were able to reach them inside the tunnel in Rafah."

"We will not stop until every hostage is brought home," he said.

The IDF has located and recovered the bodies of six hostages, including two women, from a tunnel in the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip.

The deceased were identified as Hersh Goldberg (23), an Israeli-American citizen, Eden Yerushalmi (24), Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi (27), Alex Lubnov (33), a father of two, and Ori Danino (25), Israel Foreign Ministry said in a post on social media platform X.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum of Israel announced major protests across the country on Sunday after the bodies of hostages were recovered.

The forum representing many relatives of hostages held in Gaza called on the public to stage major protests against the government on Sunday.