NEW DELHI: Israel has confirmed the return of the remains of four more Israeli hostages from Gaza, bringing the total number of deceased hostages repatriated to eight.
The bodies, handed over by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), were subsequently transferred to Israeli authorities for identification and forensic analysis.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the handover, stating that the remains were received late on Tuesday and are undergoing examination at the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.
Among the identified hostages are Guy Illouz, a 53-year-old taxi driver from Tel Aviv; Bipin Joshi, a 29-year-old Nepali student who had been missing since the October 7, 2023, attacks; Daniel Peretz, a 33-year-old military officer confirmed killed on the same day; and Yossi Sharabi, who likely died during an Israeli airstrike. The fourth body remains unidentified as of now.
This development follows a previous handover of four bodies on Monday, which had raised concerns due to Hamas’s failure to return all 28 deceased hostages’ remains as stipulated in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. The delay had led Israel to halve humanitarian aid and delay the opening of the Rafah border crossing.
The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged the challenges involved in recovering bodies amidst the widespread destruction in Gaza, describing the effort as “complex and time-consuming.”
Israeli officials have emphasized the importance of full compliance with the ceasefire terms, warning that continued delays in returning all deceased hostages’ remains could jeopardize the fragile peace and hinder efforts to rebuild Gaza.
As of now, 20 bodies of deceased hostages remain unaccounted for. Hamas has informed mediators that it plans to transfer four more bodies to Israel on Wednesday.
