Israeli forensic authorities have confirmed that remains handed over by Hamas on Tuesday were not those of the last two deceased hostages in Gaza, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
The remains, described by the Red Cross as belonging to one of the last two hostages, were transferred in line with commitments under a US-backed October ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces sent the remains for forensic testing at the National Center for Forensic Medicine.
“The findings brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not linked to any of the deceased hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas-allied Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, said it was continuing the search for a body of a hostage in northern Gaza, alongside a team from the Red Cross. It did not specify which of the two remaining deceased hostages it was seeking.
The two hostages still unaccounted for are Israeli police officer Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, both abducted during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked two years of conflict in Gaza.
The Geneva-based Red Cross has served as an intermediary between Gaza militant groups and Israel throughout the war, facilitating the release of living hostages and overseeing the handover of remains.
Melissa Enoch
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