Israel Receives Bodies of Two Hostages from Hamas

Hamas transferred the bodies of two Israeli hostages, Inbar Haiman and Sgt. Maj. Muhammad Al-Atrash, to Israel on Wednesday night. The remains were collected by the Red Cross in Gaza City and handed over to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel, who transported them to Israel. Upon arrival, the caskets were draped in Israeli flags and honored in a brief ceremony led by a military rabbi. The bodies were then taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification and determination of the cause of death. IDF representatives subsequently notified the families of Haiman and Al-Atrash.

Haiman, 27, was a visual communications student from Haifa. She was killed by terrorists at the Nova music festival near Re’im on October 7, 2023, and her body was taken to Gaza. Her death was officially declared in December 2023. She was the last female hostage held in Gaza. Al-Atrash, 39, from Sa’wa, served as a tracker in the IDF’s Northern Brigade of the Gaza Division. He was killed on October 7, 2023, while fighting Hamas terrorists near Nahal Oz, and his body was also taken to Gaza. His death was confirmed in June 2024.

The Israeli government expressed condolences to the families, stating its commitment to bringing back all fallen hostages for proper burial. Hamas claimed it had returned all the deceased captives it was able to locate, with 19 hostages' remains still unaccounted for. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel might resume military operations if Hamas does not comply with the truce agreement, stating that the military is prepared to act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas if necessary. Hamas's military wing indicated that recovering the remaining bodies requires significant effort and special equipment due to the destruction in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the challenges in locating the remaining bodies, describing the process as gruesome and noting the difficulties posed by rubble and tunnel systems. Senior Trump advisers emphasized the U.S. commitment to retrieving all remaining hostages, stating that no one will be left behind. Israeli officials have accused Hamas of delaying the return of bodies and believe the group has access to more remains than it claims. U.S. officials anticipate that Hamas will eventually return all bodies but acknowledge that the process will take time.