Israel announced that remains of three hostages recovered by IDF and Shin Bet in Gaza were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and brought to Israel. The bodies will receive a military honor ceremony led by the Chief Military Rabbi before being taken to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for formal identification and family notification. Officials urged respect for families’ privacy and reiterated that efforts to return all hostages will continue. Since Oct. 10, 17 deceased hostages have been returned while an estimated 11 bodies remain in Gaza.
Israel Receives Remains of Three Hostages via Red Cross — Military Honors and Forensic ID to Follow
Israel announced that remains of three hostages recovered by IDF and Shin Bet in Gaza were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and brought to Israel. The bodies will receive a military honor ceremony led by the Chief Military Rabbi before being taken to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for formal identification and family notification. Officials urged respect for families’ privacy and reiterated that efforts to return all hostages will continue. Since Oct. 10, 17 deceased hostages have been returned while an estimated 11 bodies remain in Gaza.
03:02, 03.11.2025Conflict
Israel receives remains of three hostages via Red Cross
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Sunday that Israel has received the remains of three Israeli hostages through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The statement said the remains were recovered inside the Gaza Strip by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet operatives.
The bodies will be brought to Israel and honored in a military ceremony led by the Chief Military Rabbi. After the ceremony, they will be transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine at the Health Ministry for formal identification; families will be notified once the forensic process is complete.
All families of the deceased have been informed and the government offered its deep condolences, saying, "our hearts are with them at this difficult time." Officials reiterated Israel’s commitment to bringing all hostages home, saying efforts "will continue relentlessly and will not cease until the last hostage is brought home." Authorities also urged the public to respect the families’ privacy and to avoid sharing unverified information, with updates available only from official channels.
Although Israeli authorities have not yet publicly confirmed identities, Hamas said the three recovered remains were those of Israeli soldiers. Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, Hamas has returned 17 deceased hostages; Israeli officials estimate another 11 bodies remain in Gaza. Reuters reported that Israel has accused Hamas of moving slowly to deliver remains, while Hamas says it is working as quickly as possible under difficult conditions.
Separately, reports indicated Israeli airstrikes struck targets in Gaza before Sunday’s transfer, with one person reported killed. The Israeli military said aircraft struck a militant it assessed as a threat to its forces, while Al-Ahli Hospital reported one man killed in an airstrike in Gaza City.
Prime Minister Netanyahu: "There are still Hamas pockets in the areas under our control in Gaza, and we are systematically eliminating them."
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas had agreed to hand over the remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants killed during the Gaza war.