The Israeli military said on Wednesday that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas does not match any of the hostages captured since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said forensic examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed the mismatch, urging Hamas to “make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages”. The revelation has reignited tensions just days after a US-brokered ceasefire deal aimed at ending the prolonged and devastating conflict in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Hamas handed over the remains to Israel after the latter threatened to curb humanitarian aid into Gaza, accusing the Hamas of violating the terms of the truce agreement. The four coffins were transferred to the Red Cross at a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip before being brought into Israel shortly before midnight for forensic identification and confirmation of identity.
While the fourth body is believed to belong to a Palestinian, the three identified hostages were Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levy. Their return marks another sombre milestone in Israel’s ongoing efforts to recover both living hostages and remains held by Hamas since the war erupted two years ago.
The latest exchange followed the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, under which both sides agreed to swap the final 20 living Israeli hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Addressing the Knesset on Monday, Trump hailed the exchange as the “historic dawn of a new Middle East”, signalling what he called a turning point towards regional stability.
However, the fate of 28 deceased hostages remains unresolved. Hamas has so far handed over eight coffins, leaving at least 19 believed dead and one still unaccounted for in the Gaza Strip, a tragic reminder of the human toll and unanswered questions left by the war that began on 7 October 2023.
