Gaza ceasefire at risk after Israel says 1 of 4 bodies returned by Hamas not of any hostage
Three of the bodies have been identified as those of Eitan Levym, Uriel Baruch and Tamir Nimrodi. However, the remains in the fourth coffin handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas did not match any of the hostages.
Mourners walk near the car carrying the coffin of slain hostage Guy Illouz during his funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Illouz remains were returned from Gaza to Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas the previous night did not match any of the hostages taken by the militants on October 7, 2023. The return of dead and alive hostages within a deadline is key to the fragile ceasefire agreement arrived at recently.
According to the IDF, three of the bodies have been identified as those of Eitan Levym, Uriel Baruch and Tamir Nimrodi at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv. However, the remains in the fourth coffin handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas did not match any of the hostages.
🟡Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages.
Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.
The IDF believes that the body could be of an unknown Palestinian.
Three hostages identified
The IDF said on Wednesday that two of the hostages, Uriel Baruch and Eitan Levi, were killed by Hamas during the October 7 terror attack, and their bodies were taken into Gaza.
Tamir Nimrodi, an 18-year-old serving member of the IDF, was taken alive as a hostage from his base near the Erez Crossing on October 7 and was killed while in captivity.
Fourth body is of an Israeli soldier: Hamas
While the identity of the fourth body remains a mystery, Hamas has rejected the Israeli claim that it was of a Palestinian man. An unnamed source within Hamas told Al Jazeera that the body was of an Israeli soldier who was captured in a “resistance operation” in May 2024 in the Jabaliya refugee camp.
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At that time, the IDF had rejected claims that a soldier was killed and captured, but Hamas had released a video showing a bloodied person being dragged along the ground in a tunnel. It had also shared images of military gear and submachine guns, allegedly belonging to the captured IDF soldier.
Hamas’s failure to return 28 bodies risks breaking ceasefire deal
Hamas returned the four bodies on Tuesday night after the Palestinian militia’s failure to repatriate all the 28 deceased hostages threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. According to the ceasefire agreement, Hamas had to return all 20 living hostages and the bodies of the 28 others who were killed in their captivity within 72 hours.
Mourners walk near the car carrying the coffin of slain hostage Guy Illouz during his funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Illouz remains were returned from Gaza to Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
However, on Monday, Hamas only returned four bodies, sparking furious reactions in Israel. US President Donald Trump, who played a key role in making the ceasefire deal happen, also condemned the failure of Hamas to return all the 28 dead hostages.
Hamas has informed the International Red Cross that it might not be able to locate the bodies of all the 28 hostages who were killed on October 7, 2023, or during captivity, due to the destruction in Gaza as a result of the Israeli bombardment.
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A gunman wearing the uniform of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stands guard as Red Cross vehicles allegedly transporting coffins containing the bodies of four deceased hostages leave a warehouse for Israel, in Gaza City. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)
Israel allowing more aid to enter Gaza
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Israel allowed the entry of more aid trucks into Gaza. Earlier, Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning bodies too slowly.
An Israeli security official said on Wednesday that preparations were underway to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in.
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Mourners walk near the car carrying the coffin of slain hostage Guy Illouz during his funeral procession in Rishon Lezion, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Illouz remains were returned from Gaza to Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) 
