The Israeli military has said that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas during the latest exchange was not among the country’s list of former hostages, raising fresh tensions amid a fragile ceasefire.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that after overnight forensic examinations, medical officials determined that one of the four bodies returned on Tuesday “does not match any of the hostages.”
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the military warned.
The discovery has added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has been facing growing domestic anger over the handling of hostage negotiations and humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Since Monday, under a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States President Donald Trump, Hamas has released 20 surviving Israeli hostages and returned the bodies of eight people, including six Israelis, one Nepalese national, and an unidentified eighth individual now confirmed not to be a former hostage.
Separately, a hospital in Gaza said it had received the remains of 45 Palestinians returned by Israel as part of the same exchange process.
The revelation that one set of remains does not belong to any of the 28 people officially listed by Israel as deceased former hostages could harden public opinion against further concessions to Hamas.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, the government had been preparing to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Wednesday to allow limited aid deliveries into Gaza. However, far-right ministers have demanded that such plans be suspended.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reiterated calls to block aid shipments if Hamas fails to return the remains of Israeli soldiers still held in the enclave.
“Humanitarian supplies must stop until every one of our fallen heroes is brought home,” Ben Gvir said in comments reported by Israeli media.
Two of the bodies returned by Hamas have so far been confirmed to be Israeli soldiers.
