JERUSALEM – On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the latest set of remains repatriated from Gaza has been identified as those of hostage Dror Or.

As the initial stage of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas draws to a close, the bodies of two hostages still remain in Gaza.

Dror Or’s remains were handed over by Palestinian militants on Tuesday.

In a reciprocal arrangement, Israel has committed to returning 15 Palestinian bodies for every hostage released.

According to Israeli military reports, Dror Or was tragically killed by Islamic Jihad militants during a raid on his home in Kibbutz Beeri on October 7, 2023. His wife, Yonat Or, also lost her life in the attack.

The same day, Palestinian militants launched a large-scale assault that claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 individuals throughout southern Israel and resulted in the abduction of 251 people to Gaza. Kibbutz Beeri was among the most severely affected agricultural communities during this attack, which marked the onset of the Gaza conflict.

Two of Or’s children, Alma and Noam, were abducted by the militants on Oct. 7 and released in a hostage deal in November 2023.

Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. The remains of two — one Israeli and one Thai national— are still in Gaza.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed and 170,800 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.