On Tuesday, the remains of an Israeli hostage were returned by Hamas to the Red Cross, who subsequently handed over the body to Israeli authorities, as confirmed by the Israeli military.
The coffin was transported by the Red Cross to Israeli forces stationed within the Gaza Strip, as stated by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These remains are scheduled to be moved to Israel, where a military rabbi is set to conduct a ceremonial tribute, according to Netanyahu’s office.
Post-ceremony, the remains will be subjected to an identification process at the National Center of Forensic Medicine, after which the family of the deceased will be informed.
Earlier reports from Reuters indicated that Hamas had discovered the body of an Israeli soldier who had been held hostage in Gaza. This discovery was made in Shejaia, a suburb to the east of Gaza City, within an area still under Israeli occupation. Access to this site was granted for teams from Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross by Israeli forces.
Images show a Red Cross vehicle transporting the body, following Hamas’s announcement of finding the Israeli hostage soldier’s remains on Tuesday, preparing for its return to Israel through the Red Cross channels, as seen in Gaza City on November 4, 2025. (REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
This development comes shortly after the bodies of three Israeli hostages, including American Omer Neutra, were released on Sunday.
Hamas had agreed per the ceasefire to hand over the remains of 28 dead hostages in exchange for the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants who were killed in the Gaza war.
The Red Cross transports the body of a deceased hostage, who had been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, after it was handed over by Hamas militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Oct. 30, 2025. (Ramadan Abed/Reuters)
Before Tuesday, Hamas had released the remains of 20 hostages, with eight remaining in Gaza.
