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Exchange of prisoners

Bodies of Israeli Hostages Returned from Gaza as Ceasefire Deal Takes Effect

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As part of a hostage-for-prisoners exchange deal, the Israeli military confirmed the identification of three more hostages whose bodies were returned from Gaza on Tuesday, bringing the total number of bodies of hostages confirmed to have been returned to seven. The releases have brought closure to some families of the 28 deceased hostages whose bodies were held in Gaza before the deal came into effect. However, frustration is growing among Israelis awaiting the return of the bodies of the other hostages still held in the enclave, including a soldier killed in Gaza in 2014. Pressure on Hamas mounted Tuesday as Israel said it would slow aid to Gaza until the bodies were released.

Key Takeaways:

  • A total of seven bodies of hostages confirmed to have been returned to Israel have been identified so far, including those of Guy Illouz, 26, Bipin Joshi, Daniel Peretz, 22, and Yossi Sharabi, 53, who were all returned on Monday.
  • Three more bodies of hostages were confirmed on Tuesday: Uriel Baruch, 34, Tamir Nimrodi, 20, and Eitan Levi, 52.
  • The bodies of seven hostages remain missing, including those of a soldier killed in Gaza in 2014, a soldier who was taken from a main crossing between Israel and Gaza, a taxi driver who was killed at the Nova music festival, and seven other individuals, including four Israeli soldiers, two Israeli-American dual nationals, and one Thai national, and a Thai agricultural worker who worked in Israel for five years.
  • The Israeli military has confirmed that 25 hostages are still being held in Gaza, with no information available on their whereabouts or conditions.
  • The hostage-for-prisoners exchange deal was made possible after the Israeli military and Hamas negotiated a 72-hour ceasefire, during which time analysts say the Israeli military slowed its bombing campaign in exchange for a reduction of Hamas's rocket fire.
  • The deal has sparked controversy, with many Israelis criticizing the release of prisoners and the lack of information about the remaining hostages.
  • The fate of Israeli hostages Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, who are the only two American-Israeli dual nationals among the hostages, remains unknown.
  • Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, expressed hope that more hostages would be returned, but emphasized that security could not be compromised.

Statistics:

  • 7 bodies of hostages have been confirmed to have been returned to Israel.
  • 25 hostages remain missing in Gaza.
  • 4 Israeli soldiers and 1 American-Israeli dual national are among the missing hostages.
  • The Israeli military has confirmed that 4 other hostages, including 2 Thai nationals, are also missing.
  • The Israeli military has reported that it has killed over 1,000 Hamas militants since the start of the conflict in May 2023.
  • Israel has also reported that it has been struck by over 1,000 rockets from Gaza.

Sources:

  • Israeli military
  • Washington Post
  • Associated Press
  • Times of Israel

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