Israel Confirms Hamas Remains Are Not Hostages Amid Ongoing Tensions

Hamas transferred the partial remains of three bodies to Israel on Friday night, but Israeli officials confirmed that none of these remains belong to the hostages currently held by the group. This was verified on Saturday, as the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv reported that it could not match the remains to any of the eleven Israelis still unaccounted for.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the remains did not correspond to any of the hostages, leaving their identities unknown. The Red Cross facilitated the handover, which took place at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. Medical workers at the hospital began the identification process without the aid of DNA kits, as chilling images emerged showing rows of white body bags at the facility.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, claimed to have offered Israel samples of unidentified bodies but alleged that “the enemy refused to receive the samples and requested to receive the bodies for examination.” They asserted that the transfer was meant to counter accusations that they were deliberately delaying the handover of remains or hiding bodies in the Gaza Strip.

The latest handover followed Israel’s return of the remains of thirty Palestinians to Gaza on the same day. This exchange was part of a broader negotiation process, which included the return of bodies belonging to Amiram Cooper, an 84-year-old economist, and Sahar Baruch, a 25-year-old engineering student. Cooper and his wife, Nurit, were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Cooper was confirmed dead in captivity in June 2024, while Nurit was released later that October. Baruch was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri and killed two months later during a failed rescue attempt, according to reports from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

The IDF stated that they would publish their “final conclusions” regarding the circumstances of Cooper’s and Baruch’s deaths after forensic examinations are completed. In total, Israel has returned the remains of 225 Palestinians, but only 75 of those have been identified by families, as reported by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

The exchange of remains forms part of the initial phase of a cease-fire agreement in Gaza. Under this agreement, Hamas is obligated to return all remaining living and deceased hostages within 72 hours. While Hamas has returned 20 living Israeli captives, it has only delivered 17 of the 28 bodies. The status of the remaining eleven bodies remains uncertain, fueling accusations from Israel that Hamas is using the deceased hostages as leverage in negotiations. The Israeli government has long held that Hamas knows the whereabouts of most of the bodies, complicating the ongoing situation.

As tensions continue, the unfolding developments highlight the complexity of negotiations and the human impact of the ongoing conflict.