Quick recap
In a U.S.-mediated agreement meant to ease tensions in Gaza, Hamas handed over human remains to international and Israeli authorities. Four coffins were transferred to the Red Cross and then passed on to Israeli agencies for identification and forensics.
What was identified
After forensic testing, three of the returned remains were identified by Israeli authorities as Staff Sergeant Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levi. Earlier in the operation, other deceased individuals had been identified as Guy Iluz, Capt. Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi and Bipin Joshi.
One body didn’t match
Officials said the fourth body handed over this time did not match any of the known hostages. Following standard forensic checks, the Israeli Defense Forces said that particular set of remains could not be linked to their missing lists and asked Hamas to continue efforts to return the deceased hostages.
Timeline and the terms of the deal
The handover was part of a larger agreement that set a deadline for the return of all hostages and their remains. As part of the package, Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and to allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, alongside a partial pullback of Israeli forces from some urban areas. The agreement included a short window for returning the remaining bodies.
Reactions and next steps
Families and advocacy groups representing hostages have expressed frustration that not all remains have been returned. Israeli officials said the initial transfer — only a handful of bodies — fell short of expectations and framed it as a breach of the deal. At the same time, authorities and international partners have discussed forming a team to search for additional missing remains inside Gaza, though details remain unclear.
Bottom line
The identification work is ongoing and emotions are raw. Authorities say they will continue forensic examinations and diplomatic efforts until families receive answers. For now, the handover resolved some questions but left others — and the search for the remaining missing — very much unresolved.
