An Israeli security official briefed reporters on Wednesday morning, saying that one of the four bodies returned to Israel overnight was not a hostage. According to him, the National Center for Forensic Medicine experts determined that the remains were from a Palestinian.
Three other bodies were confirmed to be soldiers Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levy by the center.
Unlike Monday’s handover, Hamas did not specify the names of the dead.
In February, a body purporting to be Shiri Bibas was returned to Israel along with her two children, but a forensic examination determined that the body was a Palestinian.
Terrorists murdered the sons, Ariel and Kfir, with their bare hands, then mutilated the bodies to make it look like they were killed in an airstrike. Hamas released Shiri’s remains the next day.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas is obligated to return the bodies of all the hostages — currently 23 — still in Gaza. It is believed Hamas will hand over more remains on Wednesday.
The recovery of missing Israeli bodies is being coordinated through Qatari, Turkish, and Egyptian mediators. Officials warn that locating and identifying all the remains will take time, as many are thought to be buried in unmarked graves or trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Hamas claims to know the locations of 14 of the 28 hostages confirmed killed, but Israeli security officials believe the terror group holds information than it has let on.
Around 1,200 people killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were abducted on Oct. 7, 2023.
With inputs from ANI
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
