The Israeli military has announced that they have identified three of the four bodies handed over by Hamas on Tuesday in Gaza, stating on Wednesday that the fourth body does not belong to any Israeli hostage.
In a statement, the military revealed, “After conducting examinations at the forensic institute, it was determined that the fourth body supplied by Hamas to Israel yesterday does not match any of the Israeli captives.” They urged the Palestinian group to “make every effort” to return the remains of all hostages who have died.
Forensic analysis confirmed that the three identified bodies belong to Aurel Baruch, Eitan Levy, and Tamir Nimrodi, with the latter being a soldier “killed during his captivity” at the onset of the war after being taken alive from a coordination base near the Gaza Strip.
The Families of Hostages Forum affirmed that the soldier, who became a hostage at the age of 18 at a base located near the Erez crossing, “was killed in airstrikes conducted by the Israeli army” on the territory.
Following the identification of their loved ones, the families of the three hostages shared messages on social media platforms.
According to a swap agreement reached between Israel and Hamas as part of a ceasefire brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump, the group returned all living hostages and the remains of seven out of 28 individuals they had been holding.