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On Friday, Israel announced that the three sets of human remains handed over by Hamas did not correspond to any of the deceased hostages.
After conducting forensic analyses, Israeli authorities determined that these remains do not belong to the 11 hostages who are confirmed deceased and still held in Gaza, according to information obtained by Fox News.
“The remains we received are not those of our hostages,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu communicated to The Associated Press following the forensic investigation. However, the identities of the remains remain undisclosed, and Israeli officials have not clarified who these individuals were or the reason for their transfer to Israel.
Since a U.S.-facilitated truce took effect earlier this month, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages. In several cases, Israel has pointed out that the remains returned did not match those of the deceased hostages still unaccounted for. Earlier, Hamas also returned additional remains belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was initially recovered in 2023.
The Red Cross facilitated the transfer of a deceased hostage’s body, held in Gaza since the deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. This handover took place in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on October 30, 2025. (Ramadan Abed/Reuters)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) made clear its role in the transfer of hostages’ remains. In a statement, the ICRC said that it “does not take part in locating the remains.”
“In accordance with international humanitarian law, it is the responsibility of the parties to search for, collect, and return the dead,” the ICRC said.
Red Cross vehicles arrive to receive from Hamas the bodies of deceased hostages who had been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-for-prisoners swap deal, in Gaza City on Oct. 14, 2025. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)
On Thursday, Israel received the remains of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, leaving 11 deceased hostages in the Gaza Strip, including U.S. citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra.
Israeli intelligence suggests Cooper was alive when he was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it estimates Cooper was killed in February 2024. He was 84 years old. Cooper leaves behind a wife, four children and 11 grandchildren.
Participants hold a large banner during a rally held by hostage families and supporters at “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)
Baruch was taken from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the massacre. The IDF said that it estimates he was murdered on Dec. 8, 2023, at the age of 25. Baruch leaves behind his parents and two siblings.
In addition to Neutra and Chen, the remaining deceased hostages include Meny Godard, Hadar Goldin, Ran Gvili, Asaf Hamami, Joshua Loitu Mollel, Dror Or, Oz Daniel, Lior Rudaeff and Sudthisak Rinthalak.