Three bodies of returned Israeli captives identified, say relatives
Three of the four bodies of Israeli captives returned by Hamas last night have been identified following forensic confirmation, their families said.
“It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayer, hope, and faith,” said the family of the Jerusalem resident, who was 35 when kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Moreover, the relatives of Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy also announced the return of the bodies of their loved ones.
Levy, a 53-year-old taxi driver, was killed after dropping off a friend at Kibbutz Beeri. Nimrodi, 18, was captured at a military base near the Gaza fence.
Fourth body returned by Hamas does not match captives held: Israel
The Israeli army says the fourth body handed over by Hamas has not been matched to any of the captives, following the completion of an examination at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the army said in a statement on Telegram.
Difficulty in locating bodies due to Hamas commanders killed during war, says negotiator
Israeli captives negotiator Gershon Baskin says the difficulty in returning the bodies of the captives is in part because a number of Hamas commanders who buried the bodies of the captives are no longer alive, alongside the destruction of the Gaza Strip.
“When I brought this to the attention of [US Special Envoy Steve] Witkoff last night, I told him this is going to be an issue. The Israelis are already screaming that Hamas is breaching the agreement. Witkoff said to me, ‘We will not allow that to happen,'” Baskin told CBS News.
According to Israeli media, Hamas plans to release the bodies of four more captives, and Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing as planned to allow desperately needed aid into the enclave.
