Israel: 'Findings' From Gaza Aren't Missing Hostages

Israel said Wednesday that the "findings" returned from Gaza don't match either of the hostages taken during Hamas' 2023 attack who remain in Gaza, posing yet another challenge to the region's fragile ceasefire. The material handed over Tuesday was found in Gaza's northern town of Beit Lahiya, according to Palestinian media. In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said forensic testing was completed and it wasn't linked to the dead hostages, per the AP. Hamas has yet to comment on the latest handover.

Officials used the term "findings" rather than "remains" in its statements on Tuesday and Wednesday when discussing what had been returned from Gaza, though it wasn't immediately clear why; the Prime Minister's Office didn't comment when asked. With the remains of two hostages, Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, still in Gaza, the sides are close to wrapping up the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire. Twenty living hostages and the remains of 26 others have been returned to Israel since the ceasefire began in early October. The returns are a key part of the terms of a shaky agreement, which both Hamas and Israel have accused the other of breaking.

Gvili helped people escape from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and was killed fighting at another location. The military confirmed his death four months later. Rinthalak was an agricultural worker from Thailand who'd been employed at Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the hardest-hit communities in the attack. According to media reports, Rinthalak had been working in Israel since 2017.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas returned 20 living hostages to Israel on Oct. 13. The further exchanges of the dead have been the central component of the initial phase of the US-brokered agreement, which requires Hamas to return all hostage remains as quickly as possible. Israel has been releasing 15 Palestinian bodies for the remains of each hostage as part of the ceasefire agreement. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the total number of remains received so far is 330. Hamas has said recovering bodies is complicated by the widespread devastation in Gaza. Israel has pushed to speed up the returns and in certain cases has said the remains weren't those of hostages.