Israel identifies remains of eighth deceased hostage handed over by Hamas

Hamas has handed over the stays of one other deceased hostage, the Israel Protection Forces stated.

The IDF confirmed in a social media submit early Saturday native time that the “coffin of the deceased hostage” was introduced into Israel and was being taken to Israel’s Nationwide Institute for Forensic Medication, the place the physique can be recognized.

The Related Press reported on Saturday morning that the stays had been recognized as these of Eliyahu Margalit, 76, citing Israel’s Prime Minister’s Workplace. Margalit had been kidnapped from the horse stables the place he labored in Kibbutz Nir Oz. 

In a previous social media submit late Friday night time, the IDF stated that the Crimson Cross was “on its option to the assembly level within the southern Gaza Strip, the place a coffin of a deceased hostage will probably be transferred into its custody.” 

Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had stated earlier Friday that it was handing over the physique.

The announcement comes after Hamas stated Wednesday it had handed over all the Israeli hostage remains in Gaza that it had been capable of get well, and intensive efforts and particular gear can be required to search out the remaining our bodies.

The Gaza peace plan known as for Hamas to hand over all remaining hostages — 20 residing and 28 lifeless — by Monday, Oct. 13. For the reason that plan took impact final week, Hamas has been accused of delaying handing over the stays of Israeli hostages nonetheless believed to be within the Palestinian territory. 

Hamas has handed over the stays of at the very least eight confirmed hostages because the peace deal took impact, together with Margalit’s stays. 

Whereas Hamas returned the 20 living hostages by the Monday deadline, the stays of solely 4 deceased Israeli captives had been handed over. Hamas transferred an extra 4 our bodies on Tuesday, however the IDF said one of them was not a hostage. The stays of at the very least 20 hostages are nonetheless unaccounted for. 

A senior U.S. adviser informed reporters on a name Wednesday that “no person is getting left behind,” noting they imagine there are nonetheless many our bodies buried underneath the mountains of rubble throughout Gaza. Senior U.S. advisers stated the extent of destruction additionally makes it tough to maneuver round within the Palestinian territory. 

“It might have been virtually inconceivable for Hamas to mobilize, even when they knew the place all of the 28 our bodies had been, to mobilize and get them residence,” one adviser stated Wednesday.

Strikingly, the adviser stated the U.S. is sharing Israeli intelligence with Hamas to help find hostage stays. The adviser additionally stated Turkey has provided to assist seek for and retrieve stays by sending in knowledgeable groups with expertise rescuing individuals from the frequent earthquakes within the nation.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz stated Thursday that American personnel would be part of the effort to get well the stays of the hostages which have but to be turned over.

Throughout negotiations that led to the peace deal, Hamas representatives stated they didn’t know the situation of all of the stays of deceased hostages, in response to Israeli media stories. President Trump additionally stated in Egypt on Monday that not the entire our bodies of the deceased hostages had been discovered, including that unidentified events had been nonetheless “understanding” find an unspecified variety of stays.

The senior U.S. advisers who spoke to reporters on Wednesday urged endurance and stated they don’t seem to be at a degree the place they really feel that the settlement has been violated, citing the difficulties in retrieving the stays nonetheless in Gaza.

Each the Israeli Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, the group that represents the hostage households, and Israeli Protection Minister Israel Katz have beforehand stated the complete peace deal must be shelved till the entire hostages’ stays are returned by Hamas.