JERUSALEM: Israel said on Monday the remains of three hostages returned from Gaza the previous night belong to soldiers who were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war. The positive identification marked another step forward for the tenuous, US-brokered ceasefire.
The military said the men were killed in the attack on southern Israel and that their bodies were dragged by militants back to Gaza. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the three as Capt. Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel and Col. Assaf Hamami. A Hamas statement earlier said their remains were found on Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 20 hostages, with eight now remaining in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump said Sunday he had spoken with Neutra’s family, describing their relief and heartbreak. “They were thrilled, in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, it’s not too great,” Trump said.
Slow release of bodies
Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged faster progress, and in certain cases it has said the remains were not those of any hostage. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation.
Israel in turn has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage returned. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits.
Only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which has posted photos of remains in the hope that families will recognize them.
Who were the hostages returned?
The American-Israeli, Neutra, was 21 when he died. In the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, he was abducted with the rest of his tank crew. In December 2024, the military announced Neutra had been killed in the attack that started the war.
Neutra’s parents were a regular presence at protests in the US and Israel, and addressed the Republican National Convention last year.
The militants took the body of Daniel, 19, from his tank, along with three others. He is survived by his parents and twin sister.
Hamami commanded Israel’s southern brigade in the Gaza division and died early on Oct. 7, 2023, in fighting to defend Kibbutz Nirim.
According to Israeli media, Hamami was the first person in the military to declare that Israel was at war, less than 10 minutes after the attack began. Hamami and two of his soldiers were killed and their bodies were taken to Gaza. The other two soldiers’ remains were retrieved in July 2024. Hamami is survived by his wife and three children.
Ceasefire status
The exchange of hostage remains for Palestinian bodies has been the central part of the initial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire. The 20-point plan includes the formation of an international stabilization force of Arab and other partners that would work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza’s borders and ensure the ceasefire is respected.
Multiple nations have shown interest in taking part in a peacekeeping force but called for a clear UN Security Council mandate before committing troops.
Other difficult questions include Hamas’ disarmament and the governance of a postwar Gaza, as well as when and how humanitarian aid will be increased.
The deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas began with the Hamas-led 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.
Israel, which has denied accusations by a UN commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting toll.
