The Israeli army, on Sunday, “highly” likely killed 3 detainees in Gaza last November in an Israeli air strike, according to the results of an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.

The army said in a statement, “According to the results of the investigation, there is a high probability that the three were killed as a result of an air strike launched by the army (...) on November 10,” that is, approximately 10 months ago.

Israel recovered the remains of soldiers Nick Beiser and Ron Sherman and French-Israeli Elijah Toledano in December in the Gaza Strip, where they were being held

The army said investigations found that the three may have been killed in an air strike last November that also killed a senior Hamas activist, Ahmed Ghandour.

The three hostages were kidnapped in a Hamas attack on October 7. Their bodies were found in December, but the cause of death was not determined until recently.

In its report, the army said there was a “high probability” that they were killed in the strike, based on where the bodies were found, medical reports and other intelligence. But he said, "It is not possible to definitively determine the circumstances of their death."

These conclusions add pressure on the government to reach an agreement to return the remaining detainees held by Hamas. Critics say trying to save them is too difficult and dangerous