The Israeli military said Wednesday that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners was not a former hostage.
After overnight forensic tests on four bodies returned on Tuesday, the army said medical officials concluded that one body "does not match any of the hostages".
"Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages," the military warned.
On Tuesday night, Hamas returned four bodies believed to be those of Israeli hostages. By Wednesday morning, three of the four had been officially identified by their families after confirmation from the forensic institute.
"It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayer, hope, and faith," said the family of the Jerusalem resident who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, at the Nova festival at the age of 35.
The relatives of Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy also announced their return to Israel. Eitan Levy, a 53-year-old taxi driver, was killed after dropping off a friend at Kibbutz Beeri on the morning of the Hamas attack. Tamir Nimrodi, an 18-year-old soldier, was captured at a military base on the Gaza border.
With AFP
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