Israel denies the remains handed over by Hamas belong to one of the remaining Gaza hostages.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today, Wednesday, that forensic examinations have proven that the remains handed over by Hamas do not belong to either of the last two Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Hamas handed over the remains yesterday, Tuesday, through the Red Cross, as part of the terms of the ceasefire agreement concluded last October, which included the handover of the remains of hostages in exchange for humanitarian facilities. A statement issued by Netanyahu's office stated: "The samples brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not related to either of the deceased hostages," noting that the verification process was carried out by the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Israel. The two deceased hostages are believed to be police officer Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak, who were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a devastating two-year war in the Gaza Strip. The Red Cross, which plays a mediating role between Hamas and Israel, continues its efforts to secure the handover of the remaining hostages and the remains of those who died during the period of captivity, at a time when the identity of the remains handed over and the background to their handover by the Palestinian factions have not yet become clear.