Israel identifies remains of latest Gaza captive
Israeli forensic analysts have identified the body of Lior Rudaeff, whom Israel’s military says was killed in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Nir Yitzhak.
Rudaeff, a 61-year-old volunteer medic and ambulance driver, moved from Argentina to Israel at a young age. Israel’s military lists him as a reservist with the rank of sergeant major.
The armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad handed over his body to the Red Cross late on Friday, and it was then transferred to Israel’s military in occupied Gaza.
That leaves 5 left to be found.
Israeli army destroys more residential homes in southern Gaza
Al Jazeera correspondents report Israeli forces have blown up residential buildings near the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, despite the ceasefire.
According to UN estimates, 92 percent of all residential buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s war on the enclave.
Red Cross returns 15 bodies of Palestinians held by Israel
The Red Cross has returned the bodies of Palestinian from Gaza following Israel’s confirmation of the identity of the latest captive released by Hamas. The Palestinian Information Center reports 15 bodies were returned by Israel in the latest exchange.
According to the US-brokered ceasefire deal, the remains of 28 deceased captives should be returned in exchange for the remains of 360 Palestinians killed in the war.
Gaza faces ‘severe risks to public health’, says Palestinian ambassador
Palestine’s Ambassador to Brazil Ibrahim al-Zeben has addressed the worsening pollution and environmental degradation in Gaza at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
“It’s no secret that Gaza is suffering from the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous material,” said al-Zeben.
“In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing.”
Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”.
A man sifts through rubbish near a landfill site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza
