JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants have handed over the remains of two more Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, signaling that a fragile ceasefire deal is still being implemented despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military said Thursday that the remains were transferred to Israeli forces and taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later confirmed the remains were those of Sahar Baruch, 25, and Amiram Cooper, 84, both abducted during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023.
Hamas has now returned the remains of 17 hostages since the ceasefire began. Israeli officials said 11 more hostages’ bodies are expected to be handed over under the agreement. In exchange, Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians to Gaza authorities, though their identities remain unclear. Health officials in Gaza said efforts to identify them have been hampered by the lack of DNA testing equipment.
Baruch, an aspiring electrical engineer from Kibbutz Be’eri, was taken hostage when militants stormed his community. His brother, Idan, was killed in the attack. The Israeli army later announced that Sahar was killed during a failed rescue operation. Cooper, an economist and founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was captured with his wife, Nurit, who was released after 17 days. Israeli officials confirmed his death in Gaza in June 2024.
Despite the ongoing handovers, violence flared again this week. Health officials in southern Gaza said at least 40 people were injured overnight in Israeli strikes on Khan Younis. The Israeli army said the attacks targeted “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to troops” operating in the area.
The latest bombardments followed deadly strikes earlier in the week that killed more than 100 people, which Israel said were in retaliation for the shooting death of one of its soldiers in Rafah. Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by delaying the return of hostages’ remains, while Hamas denied involvement and accused Israel of breaking the agreement.
Speaking at a military graduation ceremony Thursday, Netanyahu warned that Israel would not hesitate to act. “If Hamas continues to blatantly violate the ceasefire, it will experience powerful strikes, as it did the day before yesterday and yesterday,” he said.
The ceasefire, which began on October 10, aims to end the nearly two-year conflict that erupted after Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 others in southern Israel.
Since then, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which tracks casualties under the Hamas-run government. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but its figures are widely regarded by independent experts as broadly reliable. Israel disputes the death toll but has not released alternative numbers.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
