Body returned to Israel ‘belongs to dead Palestinian’ not Israeli hostage - as remains of three others identified
As part of the ceasefire deal, brokered by Donald Trump, Hamas was expected to hand back the 28 bodies of the hostages
The remains of an Israeli hostage returned by Hamas on Tuesday are seemingly actually those of a dead Palestinian, according to local reports.
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The militant Palestinian group returned the remains of four Israeli hostages on Tuesday, with another four expected to be returned today.
But, while three of the bodies have been identified, the Israeli military has confirmed the fourth does match any of the remaining missing hostages.
The three hostages that have been identified are: Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, 18, Uriel Baruch, 35, and Eitan Levy, 53.
However, forensic experts are currently investigating whether the fourth body belongs to an Israeli or a dead Palestinian, the Times of Israel reports.
Taking to X, the IDF wrote: "Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages.
"Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages."
53-year-old Eitan Levi was missing for over a month before he was confirmed to be a hostage.
Read also: Who are the hostages being released today under Trump's Gaza peace deal?
It took 62 days for the IDF to confirm he was presumed dead while being held in Gaza.
Nimoridi was a soldier taken hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7.
His family say he was “murdered in Hamas captivity” but hostage charities say he was killed by Israeli bombing.
Baruch, 55, was one of the many people taken from the Supernova music festival on October 7 2023.
Later, it emerged he was killed that same day and his body was taken hostage.
Hamas has faced pressure from Israel to release the remaining bodies of the dead hostages, with Tel Aviv officials announcing that the Rafah border crossing would be closed for the next 24 hours.
As part of the ceasefire deal, brokered by Donald Trump, the Palestinian group was expected to hand back the 28 bodies of the hostages and to demilitarise, as it would play no future role in the enclave's governance.
But the latest images from Gaza sparked fears Hamas would not uphold this agreement.
"If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently," Donald Trump said during a White House meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday.
The US leader's warning comes as Gaza prepares to see its flow of aid reduced after Israeli officials said the Rafah checkpoint, which runs between Gaza and Egypt, would remain closed through Wednesday after Hamas failed to hand over the hostage bodies.
The delay in the return of hostages comes after Israeli officials said any final settlement must permanently disarm Hamas.
Hamas had previously indicated that some of the bodies may take longer to return to Israel, as their burial sites are difficult to find amid the widespread rubble of Gaza.