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Israel has confirmed it received the bodies of three deceased hostages from Hamas on Sunday.
Getting into it: The transfer occurred on Sunday evening and was facilitated by the Red Cross, which acted as an intermediary in the exchange. The bodies were handed over to Israeli forces inside Gaza and then transported to a lab for formal identification. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that all the families of the fallen hostages had been notified and emphasized that the effort to bring all abductees home—both living and deceased—“will not stop until the last hostage is returned.”
One of the deceased was identified as Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli dual national and lone soldier originally from New York. He served as a tank platoon commander in the IDF’s 77th Battalion, 7th Brigade, and was believed to have been killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. President Donald Trump initially announced Neutra’s return, which was later confirmed by Neutra’s parents. His father, Ronen Neutra, told Israeli media, “Our Omer is finally on the soil of Israel. So much pain and so much relief.”
The exchange comes amid a fragile ceasefire deal brokered by the US last month, which has seen periodic violations from both sides. Although the ceasefire was meant to halt hostilities and facilitate the return of hostages and bodies, tensions remain high. Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately stalling the return of deceased hostages, while Hamas claims that widespread destruction and lack of access to forensic tools have made the process difficult. In some recent instances, Hamas handed over remains that, after testing, did not match any of the known hostages still held in Gaza.
In the days leading up to the Sunday exchange, renewed violence flared, with both Israel and Hamas trading blame for breaking the ceasefire. Israel launched airstrikes in Rafah and northern Gaza, citing retaliation for Hamas attacks on its troops, while Hamas denied involvement and accused Israel of unprovoked aggression. The strikes reportedly killed more than 100 Palestinians, including over 40 children and 20 women, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
