The body of an Israeli hostage has been handed over to the Red Cross, who will soon deliver it to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) within the Gaza Strip, the IDF revealed on Tuesday.

“The Red Cross is en route to a designated meeting point in central Gaza, where it will receive a coffin containing the remains of a deceased hostage,” read an IDF statement.

The IDF urged the public to remain considerate and patient, stressing that official identification of the remains will first be communicated to the families involved.

The statement further emphasized that Hamas must adhere to the agreement and fulfill its obligation to return all deceased hostages.

The Red Cross is tasked with the delicate responsibility of transferring the remains from Hamas to the IDF, a move trusted by both parties. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Subsequent updates from Israeli authorities confirmed that they have received the remains.

“The coffin of the deceased hostage, escorted by IDF troops, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and is on its way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out,” the joint statement from the IDF and Israel Security Agency said.

Prior to Tuesday, there were three deceased hostages known to still be in Hamas custody: Ran Gvili, 24, Dror Or, 48, and Sudthisak Rinthalak, 43.

Gvili served in an elite police unit and was recovering from a motorcycle injury on Oct. 7, 2023. He nevertheless rushed to respond to the attack and helped people escape from the Nova music festival. He was later killed fighting at another location and his body was taken to Gaza.

President Donald Trump is seen meeting with freed Israeli hostages at the White House last week. (Margo Martin; Fox News)

Or was a father of three who was killed along with his wife, Yonat Or, while protecting two of their children on Oct. 7. The two children, Noam, who was then 16, and Alma, then 13, were abducted and then released during the November 2023 ceasefire.

Rinthalak was a Thai worker employed at a kibbutz that came under attack on Oct. 7. He is one of 31 Thai workers who were kidnapped on Oct. 7. The Thai government says at least 46 of its citizens were killed during the course of the war in Gaza.

The latest release comes less than a week after President Donald Trump met with 17 surviving Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House.

Trump gave each of the 17 survivors a Presidential Challenge Coin.

“You’re not a hostage anymore, today you’re heroes,” Trump said. “We love you all, and our country loves you all. You’re amazing people.”