Israel stated Thursday that militants have handed over the physique of one of many final 4 remaining hostages taken through the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that launched the battle in Gaza.
Israel recognized the returned physique as that of Meny Godard, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel. His spouse, Ayelet, was killed through the assault.
The armed wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated Godard’s physique was recovered in southern Gaza.
Because the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 10, the stays of 25 hostages have been returned to Israel. There are nonetheless three extra in Gaza that have to be recovered and handed over.
Godard was an expert soccer participant earlier than enlisting within the Israeli navy and serving within the 1973 Mideast Battle, in keeping with Kibbutz Be’eri. He served in quite a lot of totally different positions within the kibbutz, together with at its printing press.
Israel has been releasing 15 Palestinian our bodies for the stays of every hostage as a part of the ceasefire settlement. The Gaza Well being Ministry stated the entire variety of stays acquired up to now is 315.
Get each day Nationwide information
Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
Hamas has stated recovering our bodies is sophisticated by the widespread devastation in Gaza. Israel has pushed to hurry up the returns and in sure circumstances has stated the stays weren’t these of hostages.
Below the ceasefire deal, Hamas returned 20 residing hostages to Israel on Oct. 13. The additional exchanges of the lifeless are the central element of the preliminary part of the U.S.-brokered settlement which requires Hamas return all hostage stays as shortly as potential. The exchanges have gone forward whilst Israel and Hamas have accused one another of violating different phrases of the deal.
Israeli officers have accused Hamas of handing over partial stays in some cases and staging the invention of our bodies in others.
Hamas has accused Israel of opening hearth at civilians and proscribing the stream of humanitarian help into the territory. The variety of casualties has dropped because the ceasefire took impact, however officers in Gaza have continued to report deaths from strikes, whereas Israel has stated that troopers have additionally been killed in militant assaults.
Well being officers in Gaza have stated figuring out the stays handed over by Israel is sophisticated by a scarcity of DNA testing kits.
With simply three hostages left, the edges are near wrapping up the primary part of the ceasefire.
The following components of the 20-point plan name for creating a world stabilization pressure, forming a technocratic Palestinian authorities and disarming Hamas.
The delicate settlement goals to wind down the battle that was triggered by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 individuals and noticed 251 taken hostage.
Israel responded with a sweeping navy offensive that has killed greater than 69,100 Palestinians in Gaza, in keeping with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. The ministry, a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed information considered as typically dependable by impartial specialists.
Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
