Israeli forensic tests verify that the remains turned over by Hamas are not those of the hostages in Gaza

Israel has verified that the last two dead Gaza hostages were not connected to the remains that Hamas turned over.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated on Wednesday that Israeli forensic experts have verified the bones turned up by Hamas on Tuesday were not those of the final two hostages killed in Gaza.

According to the Red Cross, the remains belonged to one of the two remaining captives. They were moved in accordance with the terms of a ceasefire agreement that the US supported in October. The remains were taken by Israeli forces to the National Center for Forensic Medicine for forensic analysis.

According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, “the findings brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not linked to any of the deceased hostages.”

Along with a team from the Red Cross, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, which is associated with Hamas, the Al Quds Brigades, stated it was still searching northern Gaza for a hostage’s body. It didn’t say which of the two dead hostages it was looking for.

Israeli police officer Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak are the two captives who remain unaccounted for. They were both taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which set off a two-year conflict in Gaza.

Throughout the conflict, the Geneva-based Red Cross has acted as a go-between for Israel and militant organizations in Gaza, negotiating the release of live hostages and supervising the transfer of remains.