JERUSALEM – Israeli authoritiesโค announced Wednesday that one of the bodies returned by Hamas as part of a ceasefire agreement was not that of a โขhostage, raising questions about the militant group’s handling of remains and โcomplicating the sensitive exchange process.
The revelation comes as Hamas hasโข released a total of eight bodies alongside 20 living hostages duringโ the first phase of the truce, with families of those still missing anxiously awaiting news. While Hamas claims โขrecovering remains has been arduous due too the extensive damage in Gaza, the discovery of a non-hostage body underscores the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the fate of those unaccounted for and casts a shadow over the ongoing negotiations for โฃfurtherโข releases. The ceasefire,brokered by qatar,Egypt,and the United states,initially involved the release โคof 50 hostages held in Gaza in โexchange for โ150 Palestinian โขprisoners held by Israel.
Four bodies were released Monday night, and โfour more followed late Tuesday.Of the second group, three were identified as Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi. Baruch was kidnapped from the โNovaโค music โขfestival during the Hamas-led attackโข on Israelโค on Oct. 7, 2023, โwhich triggered the war โin Gaza. Nimrodi, whoโฃ worked withโ the Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza, was taken from the Erez border crossing. Theโค hostages Family Forum says Levi was kidnapped while driving โa friend to Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas attack.
Hamas โฃand the Red Cross have cited Gaza’s destruction as hindering the recovery of remains,and hamas โhas indicated some bodies โฃare in areas under Israeli โmilitary control. Families of hostages have expressed distress over โthe slow pace of returning the dead.