Israel Asserts Remains Returned by Hamas Are Not of Hostages
Israeli authorities have concluded that the remains of three individuals transferred from Gaza on Friday are not those of hostages held in the Palestinian territory. These remains were handed over by Hamas via the Red Cross, but following forensic testing, Israel asserts they do not match any of the deceased hostages still being held in Gaza.
Background and Context
According to the Le Monde and ANSA, the remains were transferred to a laboratory for identification immediately after they were received. However, doubts about the identities of the remains surfaced early on, with a military source stating on the night of the handover they did not believe these were the bodies of hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Developments and Details
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the findings following the forensic examination of the remains. The remains we received are not our hostages,
Israeli officials told Fox News. However, the identities of the remains are still unknown. Neither Netanyahu's office nor any other Israeli authorities have confirmed the identities of the remains to the press.
Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which began earlier this month, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages. However, there have been instances where Israel has claimed that Hamas returned remains that did not match the remaining deceased hostages, as reported by Fox News and The Hindu.
Implications and Reactions
Despite the ongoing uncertainty and the apparent misidentification, a fragile truce has been holding in Gaza since October 10. The ceasefire, brokered by the U.S., was centered on the return of all Israeli hostages, both living and dead, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
However, the Families Forum, an Israeli group campaigning for the release of captives in Gaza, has called for the suspension of further steps in the ceasefire agreement until Hamas returns the last 13 bodies
still held in the Palestinian territory, according to the Middle East Eye.
Conclusion and Current Status
While the ceasefire remains tenuous, the return and identification of hostages continue to be a significant point of contention. As of now, the remains of three individuals received recently from Gaza have been determined not to belong to any of the missing Israeli hostages. The identities of these individuals remain unknown, contributing to the ongoing tension in the region.