Israeli military officials say one of the four bodies Hamas handed over Tuesday was not that of a hostage taken on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas handed over the remains as part of a ceasefire deal in the two-year-long war.
The Israel Defense Forces said that “following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages”.
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Officials did not publicly identify the remains, but said that “Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.”
In an update early Wednesday, the Israeli military also identified the three other remains handed over on Tuesday. They were identified as Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levi.
Ceasefire deal’s first major test
The news comes just two days after Israel and Hamas signed a peace deal, which President Donald Trump helped broker. It also comes as the fragile ceasefire faces its first major test, as Israel slows aid to Gaza over the slow release of the remaining 28 deceased hostages.
Israel argues the slow release of hostages’ bodies violates the ceasefire plan. It told the United Nations it will respond to the violation by blocking half the aid admitted into Gaza.
The deal stipulated that all hostages would be handed over within 72 hours after the agreement was signed. That period expired Tuesday.
However, the plan also notes that should Hamas be unable to hand over all remaining hostages within that timeframe, it should share information about the remaining hostages and “exert maximum effort” to carry out the handover as soon as possible.
As of Wednesday, Hamas has handed over a total of eight remains. It also released all 20 living hostages on Monday.
Hamas returns to Gaza
Since the signing, Hamas has returned to the streets of Gaza in a show of force. The group has reportedly clashed with armed groups and publicly executed people.
Hamas said it is attempting to restore law and order in areas where Israeli troops have withdrawn. Meanwhile, Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to disarm and let an internationally supervised body take over in Gaza. However, that body has not yet been formed.
“We have told them we want disarm and they will disarm,” Trump said. “And if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently.”
