Israel Receives Hostage’s Remains From Red Cross As Hamas Delays Return Of Bodies

Last Updated:November 14, 2025, 06:50 IST

Israel received a hostage’s body from Gaza via the Red Cross, with formal identification pending in Tel Aviv. Four more bodies of hostages remain held.

Israel on Thursday night said the Israel Defense Forces had received a coffin believed to contain the remains of a hostage, transferred by the International Committee of the Red Cross inside Gaza.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, “Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the body of a fallen hostage that was transferred to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside Gaza.” After being handed over to troops in the enclave, the remains were moved to Israel and received in a military ceremony attended by the IDF chief rabbi.

The body was to be taken to the Health Ministry’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for formal identification. Officials added that all families of the deceased hostages had been notified. “In this difficult hour, our hearts are with them,” the statement read.

Jerusalem reiterated that efforts to retrieve all remaining hostages would continue “uninterrupted” and urged the public to avoid sharing unverified information out of respect for the families.

Earlier on Thursday, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced that they would return a hostage’s body to Israel around 8 pm local time, claiming the remains were discovered in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis.

Four more bodies are still believed to be held by the militant groups, which includes three Israelis, Meny Godard, Sgt. Ran Gvili and Dror Or, and a Thai national, Sudthisak Rinthalak, who had been working in Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Under the US brokered ceasefire and hostage-release agreement that took effect on Oct. 13, Hamas agreed to return 28 bodies in its possession. However, the group has been accused of slow-walking the process, reportedly to delay the disarmament required in the deal’s second phase, when international forces are slated to deploy in Gaza.

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