The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday handed over to the Israel Defense Forces “findings” that had been transferred to it by Hamas, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
The possible remains of a hostage were set to be sent to the Health Ministry’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir in Tel Aviv following a military ceremony with the participation of an IDF rabbi, it stated.
The PMO’s hostage and missing persons coordinator is in “continuous contact with the families of the two deceased captives, and in this difficult hour, our hearts are with them,” the statement continued.
“The effort to bring our hostages home continues without interruption and will not cease until the return of the last captive,” the PMO added.
The bodies of two hostages remained in the Gaza Strip: Israel Police counter-terrorism officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was working in Israel’s south when thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded on Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that went into effect last month, the Palestinian terrorist organization committed to returning for burial all 28 bodies it was holding, on Oct. 13.
However, Hamas has slow-walked the return of the deceased hostages.
The most recent handover took place on Nov. 25, when the terror group transferred the body of Dror Or. He was buried on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said last week that Hamas must fulfill its obligation, vowing that Israel “will not compromise” until every captive is brought home.
