Israel says presumed remains of one of last Gaza hostages returned to Israel Police – Firstpost

Israeli authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they have received the presumed remains of one of the final two deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and the remains are currently being transported for formal identification.

In a brief statement, Israeli police announced they were “currently escorting, with reverence, the coffin of the fallen hostage to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine.”

The remains were handed over inside the Gaza Strip through the Red Cross to an Israeli military and security force, according to an earlier statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that upon the completion of the identification process, “formal notification will be delivered to the family.” The statement did not specify whether the findings belonged to Israeli Ran Gvili or Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, the last two known deceased hostages, but noted that authorities are in “continuous contact” with their families.

The handover comes as part of the mechanisms established under the
US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October. Under the terms of that agreement, Palestinian militants have returned the last 20 living hostages and, previously, the remains of 26 of the 28 deceased hostages abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

While Hamas had not formally confirmed the handover by Tuesday afternoon, a Hamas official told AFP that a joint team from its armed wing and Islamic Jihad had been conducting search operations for several days in northern Gaza, including Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

“A number of bodies were found under the rubble and are being examined,” the official said, adding that search operations were continuing and that there was “no confirmation that any of these bodies found belong to an Israeli prisoner.” The official added that mediators were informed that if the two bodies are conclusively found, “they will be handed over immediately to the Israeli side through the established mechanism.”