Israel Receives Body of Deceased Hostage from Gaza Amid Efforts to Locate Longest-Held Remains

Israel has received the body of a deceased hostage from Gaza, marking the third such transfer this week, according to Israeli sources. The remains were handed over by Hamas via the Red Cross on Wednesday night and are being sent to the national forensics lab for identification. If confirmed, this would leave six deceased hostages' bodies still in Gaza.

On Tuesday evening, the body of Itay Chen, the last Israeli-American citizen held in Gaza, was returned to Israel. Earlier, on Sunday, Israel received the remains of three other hostages, including Israeli-American citizen Omer Neutra.

Israeli authorities have also obtained new information regarding the location of the longest-held remains in Gaza. The remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed in the final days of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, are believed to be in Rafah, southern Gaza. This area is near a location where up to 200 Hamas militants are reportedly hiding in an underground tunnel within Israeli-occupied territory.

Contrary to reports in Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Sunday that they have "no information" indicating that Goldin's body is being held in the tunnel itself with the Hamas operatives.

Israel is considering an Egyptian proposal that would allow safe passage for the militants to Hamas-held territory in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet made a decision on this matter. An Israeli security official indicated that a decision would be made at a later stage.

Netanyahu publicly acknowledged the presence of isolated Hamas cells on Sunday, stating, "There are still Hamas pockets in the areas under our control in Gaza, and we are systematically eliminating them. There are two in Rafah and in Khan Younis, and they will be eliminated."

Goldin is the only deceased hostage taken before October 7, 2023. On Wednesday morning, Goldin's brother expressed on social media, "It is forbidden to allow the 200 any passage until the return of Hadar and the remaining hostages... Any concession would be an abandonment."