A casket containing a deceased hostage has been transferred by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to IDF troops in northern Gaza, the military and the Shin Bet security agency said Tuesday evening.
The IDF has called for restraint and sensitivity until an official identification is completed and the hostage's family is notified.
Earlier in the day, Hamas announced it would return the deceased hostage at 8 p.m. local time. According to the terrorist organization, the deceased hostage was located in Shujaiyya, in eastern Gaza City, during searches conducted jointly with Red Cross representatives beyond the Yellow Line.
Eight deceased hostages remain in Gaza and have not yet been returned to Israel: Hadar Goldin, Itay Chen, Meny Godard, Lior Rudaeff, Dror Or, Ran Gvili, Joshua Lueito Muellel, and Sothisak Rintalak.
On Sunday night, three deceased hostages — Col. Asaf Hamami, commander of the IDF's Southern Brigade and the highest-ranking officer abducted on October 7; Capt. Omer Neutra, an IDF officer whose family was informed of his death in December 2024; and Sgt. Oz Daniel, an IDF soldier kidnapped to Gaza and listed as missing since October 7— were brought back to Israel.
