Hamas Returns Remains of Three Individuals, Not Hostages
Israel has stated that the remains of three individuals returned from Hamas on Friday do not correspond to any of the deceased hostages. Following forensic examinations, Israeli officials concluded that these remains are not linked to the 11 deceased hostages who are still being held in Gaza.
“The remains we received are not hostages,” an official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed to the Associated Press, although the identities of these remains remain uncertain. It raises questions about who they are and why they were returned to Israel.
Since a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. started earlier this month, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages. However, Israel has claimed that some of these remains do not match those of the hostages previously surrendered. Notably, Hamas returned more remains of Ofir Zarfati, whose remains were discovered only in early 2023.
Red Cross Clarifies Role in Body Recovery
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has clarified that they were not involved in discovering the bodies. In an official statement, they emphasized that it is the responsibility of the involved parties to find and return the dead in line with international humanitarian law.
Recently, on Thursday, Israel received the remains of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, but there are still 11 deceased hostages in Gaza, including Americans Itai Chen and Omer Neutra.
Israeli intelligence indicates that Cooper was alive when he was taken from his home during the October 7, 2023 attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimate he was killed in February 2024, at the age of 84. Cooper left behind a wife, four children, and 11 grandchildren.
Baruch, taken from Kibbutz Beeri during the same attack, is believed to have been killed on December 8, 2023, at the age of 25. He is survived by his parents and two brothers.
In addition to Neutra and Chen, the list of remaining deceased hostages also includes Meni Godard, Hadar Goldin, Ran Gviri, Assaf Hammami, Joshua Loitu Morel, Dror Orr, Oz Daniel, Lior Rudayev, and Sudisak Rintalak.
