Remains Returned by Hamas to Israel Not Identified as Hostages
The partial remains of three bodies handed over to Israel by Hamas last night have been determined not to belong to any of the hostages still being held, Israeli authorities confirmed today.
The assessment was completed following identification efforts at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv after the International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the transfer. Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, stated they had offered samples for identification, but “the enemy refused to receive the samples and requested to receive the bodies for examination.” According to Hamas, the transfer was made “to counter the enemy’s claims.”
This exchange follows the return of the remains of Amiram Cooper, 84, and Sahar Baruch, 25, yesterday, and Ofir Tzarfati earlier this week, though Hamas was accused of staging the “recovery” of Tzarfati’s remains. Currently, the bodies of 11 hostages remain held in Gaza, a situation that has prolonged the anguish for families seeking closure. The original ceasefire agreement stipulated the return of all 48 living and deceased hostages within 72 hours, a deadline Hamas has not fully met.
Hamas indicated its teams are prepared to continue searching for remains in areas under Israeli Defense Forces control, requesting the necessary equipment and teams for simultaneous recovery. The ongoing delays in returning the bodies of deceased hostages are a significant point of contention in negotiations and underscore the complexities of securing the release of all captives. For more information on the hostage crisis, see the International Committee of the Red Cross’s work in the region.
Israeli officials have not commented on this latest transfer but have previously accused Hamas of deliberately stalling the return of the remaining bodies.
