Jerusalem – Palestinian militants have so far released the remains of 20 hostages they had in Gaza in the last two years. ceasefire agreement in the year Israel-Hamas war. But the process of returning the bodies Among the last eight remaining hostages, the US peace plan is proceeding slowly, as called for, with militias releasing a body or two every few days.
So says Hamas not all traces could be reached Because they are buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israel’s two-year offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government and the families of the hostages have accused Hamas of dragging its feet, however, and officials have threatened to resume military operations or suspend humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.
In the latest note, Hamas returned the bodies of three soldiers killed in the October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel on Sunday. The Israeli army confirmed that the remains belonged to Colonels Omer Neutra, Oz Daniel and Assaf Hamami.
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In return, Israel has so far released the bodies of 270 Palestinians to Gaza, including 45 delivered on Monday, according to Palestinian media. Israel has not released details of their identities, and it is unclear whether they were killed in Israel in the October 7 attack, or whether they were Palestinian prisoners killed in Israeli custody, or bodies taken from Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.
Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify the bodies without access to DNA kits.
Who are the 8 hostages whose remains have not been returned?
It’s Chen He was an Israeli American originally from Netanya, in central Israel, who was kidnapped along with two other members of his tank battalion: Daniel Peretz, who also died, and Matan Angrest, who survived and was released from captivity on Monday. Chen loved basketball and studying human biology, according to the Israel Hostage Families Forum.
Chen was killed on October 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Her father, Ruby Chen, has he met frequently with American leaders about the return of all hostages to Israel, including the remains of the dead. Itay Chen is survived by his parents and two brothers.
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Meny Godard was a professional soccer player before joining the Israeli army and serving in the 1973 Middle East War, according to Kibbutz Be’eri. He worked in various positions in the kibbutz, including the printing office.
On the morning of October 7, Godard and his wife, Ayelet, were forced out of their home after it was set on fire. He hid in the bushes for a few hours before the militants found him and killed him. He was able to tell his children that Meny was killed before he died. The family held a double funeral for the couple. He is survived by four children and six grandchildren.
Hadar Goldin’s remains are the only ones preserved in Gaza before the war. The Israeli soldier was killed on August 1, 2014, two hours after the ceasefire took effect, ending the war between Israel and Hamas. Based on evidence found in the tunnel where Goldin’s body was taken, including a blood-soaked shirt, the military determined he was killed in the October 7 raid.
Goldin is survived by his parents and three siblings, including a twin. He proposed to his fiancée before he died. Earlier this year, Goldin’s family marked 4,000 days since his body was taken. The military recovered the body of another soldier killed in the 2014 war earlier this year.
Ran Gvili, who served in an elite police unit, was recovering from a broken shoulder sustained in a motorcycle accident, but went to help the officers last October 7. After helping Nova escape the music festival, he was killed in combat elsewhere and his body taken to Gaza. The military confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
Joshua Mollel was an agricultural student from Tanzania who arrived in Nahal Oz kibbutz 19 days before the 7th of October. He finished agricultural college in Tanzania and hoped to gain experience in Israel that he could apply at home. Two smaller Palestinian militant groups posted graphic images on social media showing their fighters stabbing and shooting Mollel, according to a Human Rights Watch report. Two parents and four siblings remain in Tanzania.
Dror Or was a father of three, who managed the dairy farm at Kibbutz Be’eri and was an expert cheese maker. On October 7, the family was hiding in their safe room when militants set their house on fire. Dror and his wife, Yonat, were killed. Two of their children were kidnapped and released during the November 2023 ceasefire.
Sudthisak Rinthalak was a Thai agricultural worker who worked at Kibbutz Be’eri. According to media reports, Rinthala was divorced and had been working in Israel since 2017. A total of 31 Thai workers were kidnapped on October 7, the largest group of foreigners held captive. Most of them were released during the first and second ceasefire. Rinthala is the last of three Thai hostages whose bodies were held in Gaza. The Thai Foreign Ministry said that in addition to the hostages, 46 Thais have been killed in the war.
Lior Rudaeff was born in Argentina and moved to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak at the age of 7. He volunteered for over 40 years as an ambulance driver and was a member of the community emergency response team. On the morning of October 7, he was killed while fighting with the militants and his body was taken to Gaza. Rudaeff is survived by four children and three grandchildren.