Israel on Thursday afternoon received the remains of two deceased hostages from Gaza, transferred via the Red Cross and taken to the country’s national forensic institute for identification.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the hostages were identified as Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch.
Cooper, 84, was among the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near the Gaza border. He was abducted by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack and later confirmed dead in captivity in June 2024.
Although the exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain, the Israel Defense Forces said he was killed around February 2024 while still being held hostage.
He was the last remaining hostage from Nir Oz whose body had not yet been recovered.
In a statement, the kibbutz mourned his passing, saying, “We will always remember Amiram as a man of people and of words, a pioneer with values, a person of initiative and ideas who so deeply loved the kibbutz and its members.”
Baruch, 25, was kidnapped from his mother’s home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the same October 7 assault. His brother and grandmother were murdered in the attack.
Two months later, Baruch was killed in Gaza during a failed Israeli rescue operation.
His community said in a statement, “In this difficult and painful moment, we hope the family can find a measure of comfort in the closing of a horrific circle of 755 days and nights.”
The return of their bodies leaves 11 deceased hostages still believed to be in Gaza.
The Prime Minister’s Office reaffirmed Israel’s determination, stating, “The effort to bring back our hostages continues uninterrupted and will not cease until the return of the last hostage.”
The transfer occurred just two days after Israel launched heavy retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza following the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah by Hamas on Tuesday.
The attacks reportedly killed more than 100 Palestinians, including at least 46 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the deadliest day since the ceasefire began nearly three weeks ago.
Despite the escalation, both Hamas and Israel reiterated their commitment to the US-brokered ceasefire.
The exchange of the two bodies on Thursday was seen as a strong signal that the fragile agreement remained intact.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday asserted that “nothing’s going to jeopardize” the ceasefire and warned he could “take out Hamas very easily.”
The transfer was carried out smoothly compared to previous attempts, which were marred by disputes and disruptions. On Tuesday, Hamas initially agreed to hand over one set of remains but reversed its decision hours later amid Israeli bombardment.
Earlier in the week, on Monday evening, Hamas also handed over the remains of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been recovered by Israel in Gaza two years ago.
Since Tzarfati was not part of the list of hostages to be returned under the ceasefire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Hamas for what he described as a “clear violation” of the deal.
The IDF later released a video allegedly showing Hamas staging the recovery of the remains in Gaza City before turning them over to the Red Cross.
The organization criticized the act, stating, “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged, when so much depends on this agreement being upheld and when so many families are still anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.”
