Israeli authorities have confirmed that the remains handed over by Hamas on Tuesday are not those of the last two hostages still in Gaza, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The handover, facilitated by the Red Cross, had been expected under a U.S.-backed October ceasefire deal.
Forensic testing at Israel’s National Center for Forensic Medicine determined that the remains were unrelated to the deceased hostages. “The findings brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not linked to any of the deceased hostages,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
The Al Quds Brigades, linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, later confirmed it is searching for a body of a hostage in northern Gaza with Red Cross assistance but did not specify which of the two remaining deceased hostages Israeli police officer Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak it concerns. Both were kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that ignited two years of conflict in Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has played a central role in mediating between militant groups in Gaza and Israel, facilitating the handover of living hostages and remains throughout the ongoing conflict.
Why It Matters: The misidentification prolongs uncertainty for the families of the remaining hostages and underscores the challenges in negotiating humanitarian handovers amid ongoing conflict.
Stakeholders: Israel, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Red Cross, the families of the hostages, and international observers monitoring the conflict.
What’s Next: Efforts continue to locate the remaining hostages’ remains and to ensure accurate identification, with the Red Cross remaining a key intermediary in the process.
With information from Reuters.
