Twelfth deceased hostage identified after 2 returned to Israel overnight, kibbutz says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/18/middleeast/hamas-gaza-israeli-hostage-latam-intl
The body of a twelfth hostage returned to Israel from Gaza has been identified Sunday as Thai national Sonthaya Oakkharasri, as the ceasefire that brought a pause to two years of destruction in the Palestinian enclave comes under strain.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Oakkharasri’s remains had been identified and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had informed his family. His was one of two bodies returned by Hamas on Saturday to Israel.
The other body was earlier identified as that of hostage Ronen Engel, according to his kibbutz, and photographs provided to CNN by his family.
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With the handover late on Saturday, Hamas has returned 12 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages outlined in the ceasefire agreement with Israel, which went into effect last week. All 12 have now been formally identified.
Forensic teams ‘scrambling’ to identify Palestinian bodies
Palestinians are expecting another round of releases of the bodies of people who have died in Israeli prisons. Over the past three days, the Red Cross has been responsible for delivering the bodies of both Palestinians and Israeli captives.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, forensic teams are scrambling to identify the remains due to a severe shortage of medical equipment and the lack of necessary laboratory facilities for DNA testing.
This has made it extremely difficult to notify families. So far, the ministry reports that only seven bodies have been identified among those recently released to Gaza by Israel.
Israel releases 15 dead Palestinians for every captive body returned. 12 have been returned so far, meaning 180 bodies of killed Palestinians to identify by the Red Cross. Israel only sends bodies back in bags with numbers. No information.
Israel hands over bodies of 15 Palestinians
The Gaza Health Ministry says bodies of 15 Palestinians have been returned by Israel today via the Red Cross, adding the total number of bodies received so far is now 150. The Gaza Health Ministry says bodies of 25 Palestinians have been identified so far.
“Some of the bodies showed signs of torture, beatings, handcuffing and blindfolding,” the ministry added.
Earlier, Palestinian officials were unable to identify most of the bodies Israel released as they were sent back with numbers instead of their names, leaving family members to pore desperately through pictures of the bodies, hoping to spot their loved ones.
One thing is clear from the marks left on these bodies, and the blindfolds and handcuffs still on some of them: they had been tortured before their deaths, possibly executed.
