Two Israeli sources said Israel has received the body of another alleged dead hostage from Gaza as it gathers information on the whereabouts of the longest-kept body.
Hamas transferred the remains, believed to be those of the deceased hostages, to Israel on Wednesday night through the Red Cross, the third such transfer this week. The body will be taken to the National Institute of Forensic Science for identification. If confirmed, the bodies of the six deceased hostages will remain in Gaza.
On Tuesday evening, the body of Itai Chen, the last Israeli-American detained in Gaza, was returned to Israel. On Sunday, Israel received the remains of three other hostages, including Israeli-American Omer Neutra.
Israel also believes it has new information about the location of the Gaza Strip’s longest-kept archaeological site, two Israeli officials told CNN. The remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed in the final stages of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, are likely being kept in Rafah, in southern Gaza, near an area where up to 200 Hamas militants are hiding in underground tunnels in Israeli-occupied territory, officials said.
However, contrary to reports in Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it had “no information” that Goldin’s body was held together with Hamas operatives in the tunnel.
CNN previously reported that Israel is considering an Egyptian proposal to allow militants safe passage into Hamas-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet made a decision. Israeli security officials said the issue would be decided at a later stage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly acknowledged these isolated Hamas cells for the first time on Sunday, saying: “There is still Hamas in the areas we control in Gaza, and we are systematically eliminating it. There are two in Rafah and Khan Yunis, and they will both be eliminated.”
Goldin is the only hostage taken before October 7, 2023, to die. On Wednesday morning, Goldin’s brother said on social media: “We are prohibited from allowing 200 people to pass until Hadar and the remaining hostages are returned… Any concession is a waiver.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
