Israeli officials are outraged after discovering that one of the bodies in the handover of deceased hostages overnight Tuesday was not an Israeli but a Palestinian resident of Gaza, forcing the government to weigh its response.
Four coffins were transferred to Israel on Tuesday night, including three deceased Israeli hostages – Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, and Eitan Levi. The fourth one was supposed to be another Israeli hostage, but Hamas apparently used the body of a Palestinian resident of Gaza, although it is unclear if this was a mistake or deliberate.
The Prime Minister's Office released an official statement this morning, which read: "Following the completion of the identification procedure by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in collaboration with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives notified the families of the hostages Uriel Baruch, Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi that their loved ones had been repatriated to Israel and their identification was finalized. The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Baruch, Nimrodi, and Levi families, as well as all families of the deceased hostages. The Government and the State of Israel's entire hostage and missing persons apparatus are determined, committed, and are operating relentlessly to return all of our fallen hostages for a respectful burial in their homeland. The Hamas terrorist organization is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the agreement's implementation; we will not compromise on this and will spare no effort until we return all the deceased hostages, every last one. May their memories be blessed".
Aside from the statement, no operational decision has yet been made. The Rafah crossing was not scheduled to open this morning in any event, as the logistical deployment for its opening has not yet concluded. Furthermore, the political echelon has not yet issued a directive regarding the suspension or decrease of humanitarian aid.
A similar case happened when the body of Shiri Bibas was supposed to be handed over to Israel during the previous hostage deal. In the previous exchange on February 20 of this year, Hamas transferred a body to Israel, claiming it was that of Shiri Bibas, a resident of Nir Oz who was kidnapped and murdered in captivity with her two sons – Kfir Bibas and Ariel Bibas. After a protracted examination at the National Center of Forensic Medicine, the body was then discovered to belong to a Palestinian woman who lived in Gaza, and following fury and threats from Israel, Shiri Bibas's body was subsequently transferred and identified.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, reacted in a post on the X network: "Enough of the disgrace. Right after the gates were opened for hundreds of trucks, Hamas very quickly reverted to its well-known tactics – to lie, deceive, and abuse families and bodies. The Nazi terror understands only force, and the sole path to resolving issues with it is to wipe it from the face of the earth."
