Israel has identified the remains of another hostage returned from Gaza, bringing a measure of solace to the hostage’s family. The remains were handed over by Hamas via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal. This is the 10th deceased hostage Israel has received out of 28 bodies held in Gaza. The identification process was completed by the National Centre for Forensic Medicine, and the family has been notified.
The hostage, 76-year-old Eliyahu Margalit, was abducted on October 7, 2023, from the horse stables where he worked in Kibbutz Nir Oz. His body was found after two bulldozers ploughed up pits in the earth in the city of Khan Younis. The retrieval of bodies is hampered by the scope of devastation and the presence of dangerous, unexploded ordnance. Hamas has stated that it is committed to the terms of the ceasefire deal, including the handover of bodies, but faces logistical difficulties in locating the remains.
The return of hostages’ bodies is a central requirement of the ceasefire deal, and US President Donald Trump has warned that failure to return all hostages’ remains could lead to the resumption of Israeli military operations. Meanwhile, aid deliveries remain below the agreed levels, and Gaza’s 2 million people continue to suffer amid food shortages and famine conditions.
